Bee hives in different states of readiness can be seen in the field.

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Not all types of bee hive are productive.

In many parts of Africa there is a history of honey hunting particularly in areas having a low population density and an abundance of natural bee flora. Traditional honey hunting has largely been replaced by beekeeping. Indeed, many parts of rural Africa have strong beekeeping traditions which play an important role in the rural economy. Despite such a tradition, there has been a considerable decline in traditional beekeeping in many parts of Africa, including Uganda. Proposed reasons for this decline include the intensification of agriculture which is commonly associated with degradation of bee forage and over-use of pesticides. It is worth mentioning that many people in Uganda, and also other areas of tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, are experimenting with a wide range of beekeeping methods, from traditional to modern. The important point to note here is that some of these methods have been successful, others not. Of the apiaries that I have visited in the rural villages of western Uganda many use traditional log hives. Generally speaking these work well.

Traditional log hive — in use.

Similarly, the introduction of more modern hives such as the Kenya top-bar hive (KTBH) also work well but require some initial training in their construction and use.

Kenya top-bar hives — in use.

Where new methods fail it is usually because the technology is inappropriate to the particular area, e.g. the use of Langstroth hives in remote areas of Uganda. Although these types of moveable-frame hive are used with considerable success in temperate climates, and in cooler parts of Africa, overall they have met with limited success in Africa. The aggressive nature of the African bees is not suited to the techniques for managing such hives which are expensive and intricate and must be built with precision. Expensive equipment is also required to extract the honey. Furthermore, unlike the KTBH, these hives cannot easily be suspended high enough off the ground to be safe from invasion by ants and termites, and they are also vulnerable to colonisation by wax moths whenever the bees abscond. Despite such limitations, Langstroth hives are frequently supplied by larger donor organisations and governments without any appropriate training or technical support and can often be found abandoned, often never colonised.

Langstroth hives — not in use, abandoned.

Value-added products: making the most of beeswax.

Beeswax is often wasted by beekeepers.  It is however a valuable commodity whether it be for baiting bee hives or for making a variety of products such as candles, polishes and cosmetics. In 2012, during my first visit to Uganda, the group leaders received training in the harvesting and processing of beeswax.  We saw the fruits of this training on a visit (29 April) to the homestead of one of the group leaders.

One of the group members proudly showing her sample of candles, some using sections of bamboo.

Another group member with some nice blocks of good quality beeswax.

How to harvest beeswax:

1. Wash the crushed honeycombs in water to remove as much honey and dirt as possible.

2. Squeeze by hand to remove water and transfer “cleaned” honeycombs into a suitable container.

3. Wrap the “cleaned” honeycombs in a suitable cloth and tie with string. Then place into a cooking pot with water. Push the honeycomb underneath the water and heat the water gently.

4. As the water warms (it must not boil) the melted wax starts to pass through the mesh and will rise to the surface of the water. The bag should be continuously pressed underneath the water to aid this process.

5. The last amounts of liquid wax are squeezed out of the bag using two sticks. As the water and liquid wax cool, the wax will solidify on the surface of the water.

6. Blocks of solid wax are produced which will need to be processed again to remove remaining pieces of dirt.

Visiting the apiaries of group members, 28 April.

One of the aims of this trip was to visit  the apiaries of individual members rather than group leaders  to try and get a better understanding of what is actually going on at grass-roots level with the project. [Further details on this and other posts, together with other activities carried out on the trip but not mentioned in this blog, can be found in Roy Dyche’s full trip report which should be available on the BA website in June.]

Getting ready to visit the apiary of the Tuterane Kigaaya group.

Members of the homestead and other visitors keep a close eye on us.

Off into the bush to try and locate the apiary.

The apiary consisted of 18 Kenya top-bar hives (KTBH) only 5 of which were colonised with bees. Note the protective clothing worn by this beekeeper made out of maize flour sack material which is tough and cheap. The marigold gloves were provided by the Dover and District  Beekeepers.

Watching ladies make a KTBH. The mixture that they are applying to the floor and sides of the hive is composed of mud (4 handfuls), cow faeces (2 handfuls) and wood ash (1 handful). This helps to keep the inside of the hive dark and also prevents ants and other pests from getting in.

Cutting the stalks of reeds to the appropriate length using a machete. These are used to construct the bottom and sides of the hive.

Preparing the gable ends of the hive using locally available wood.

Applying the finishing touches.

The apiary of the Baina Onugisa group.  Calliandra and marigolds had been planted to provide forage and a splash of colour, although some of this vegetation could really be cleared a little to help remove pests such as beetles and lizards. Unfortunately none of the hives (8) was colonised due to a variety of problems which had caused the bees to abscond (an established colony leaving the hive for pastures new).

Homestead of one of the Baina Onugisa group members.

Roy multi-tasking by filming and interviewing Lazarus (BISUDEF).

Roy interviewing Beatrice one of the group members who managed a very well maintained apiary. She had already harvested 10 kgs of honey during the season half of which she had sold the rest had been used by her household to supplement their diet but also for medicinal purposes. Roy hopes to use the interview to create a ‘story’ for BA’s next newsletter.