Financials

Financial projection below is only my idea from experience


To make at least One million naira (N1,000,000) revenue (excluding expeditures ) from direct honey sales each year, I will require a minimum of 70 units of improved beehives.

This will be attainable ONLY if I Can commit a sum of three hundred and sixty thousand naira (N360,000) being payment for one year salary for security staff to man the farm for an entire year.

following

saliubello:
Here are my Mobile Numbers; Globacom: 08050323434, Airtel: 08028873809, Etisalat: 08099066646 or saliubello2003@yahoo.com

do you have WhatsApp group?

jarx:
do you have WhatsApp group?

no

HARVEST REPORT
on getting home, we commenced the processing of the honey right away. put them in them press and squeeze.

A total approximate of 40litres of honey was squeezed out of the combs.

This gives an average of 8litres a box.



This harvest is poor compared to what is attainable with this type of hives.. a colleague got average of 22 litres from his hives.. meaning the game needs to step up.. Now that this demo has taught us some lessons, we can project for the future..

saliubello:
HARVEST REPORT
on getting home, we commenced the processing of the honey right away. put them in them press and squeeze.

A total approximate of 40litres of honey was squeezed out of the combs.

This gives an average of 8litres a box.



This harvest is poor compared to what is attainable with this type of hives.. a colleague got average of 22 litres from his hives.. meaning the game needs to step up.. Now that this demo has taught us some lessons, we can project for the future..

how many hives combs did you harvest from in total to give you 40..

Papertrail11:




how many hives combs did you harvest from in total to give you 40..

from 5 of the 10 experimental boxes. The other 5 boxes were damaged and honey therein stolen

Populating beehives

saliubello:
Populating beehives

Is been long I baited my hive, yet no bee has entered in it. Pls sir is there a particular season to bait hives?

jarx:
Is been long I baited my hive, yet no bee has entered in it. Pls sir is there a particular season to bait hives?

With what are you baiting it? Where are you placing the boxes? Put in some shades area with light penetrations. Bait with original honey and beeswax.

saliubello:
With what are you baiting it? Where are you placing the boxes? Put in some shades area with light penetrations. Bait with original honey and beeswax.

I baited with bee wax. box placed under shade.

jarx:
I baited with bee wax. box placed under shade.

perhaps you will need check if the wood used is not the type that repels them i.e irritating smell to humans or has been rubbed with some kind of preservative which might be chemical based or petroleum based.

saliubello:
Sometimes ago, i went to visit a new farmland for acquisition, while we were walking round the farm with our guide, i noticed this container placed conspicuously in the farm. The container is a familiar one. A food cooler. But there were other shades of boxes placed here and there. so i enquired what they were and i was told they bee hives.

So I left there pondering on the creatures in that food cooler.

I later found out the food cooler/warmer had been eaten/damaged by rats/rodents in the house and the husband of the owner thought to put it to good use since it couldnt serve the intended purpose anymore.

have a look.

Did the bees colonise the cooler hive?

saliubello:
perhaps you will need check if the wood used is not the type that repels them i.e irritating smell to humans or has been rubbed with some kind of preservative which might be chemical based or petroleum based.

In Ghana and Togo covered Claypots with small entry holes placed sideways on the ground were Successfully used as beehives . In America some people used old tyres with wood flooring and cover.

saliubello:
perhaps you will need check if the wood used is not the type that repels them i.e irritating smell to humans or has been rubbed with some kind of preservative which might be chemical based or petroleum based.

I smeared the box with condemned oil, could it be the reason. But not all of them. so if its the reason why didn't they the ones not rubbed with condemned oil?

Christistruth00:


Did the bees colonise the cooler hive?

Yes. The cooler picture uploaded has bees living in it. You know the bees like any thing like a crevice.

Christistruth00:


In Ghana and Togo covered Claypots with small entry holes placed sideways on the ground were Successfully used as beehives . In America some people used old tyres with wood flooring and cover.

Never seen this type from the Americas. I will be interested if you can share a picture or a link with me. Used car tires abound.

jarx:
I smeared the box with condemned oil, could it be the reason. But not all of them. so if its the reason why didn't they the ones not rubbed with condemned oil?

that could be the problem.

I had an experience like that too recently. I made some new Kenyan top bar hives lately, the hives were made with a good wood. While away, I made provision for my proxy to buy wood from sawmill and make top bars, he went and bought some cheap type of woods, believing it's just ordinary. Those boxes were never colonized up till tomorrow. The wood used for the top bars are kinda offensive or not conducive for the bees, so they never colonized them..

saliubello:
Never seen this type from the Americas. I will be interested if you can share a picture or a link with me. Used car tires abound.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Beehive-made-from-tires/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIWepfLVeYs&t=228s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ojjG5uKoDI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW9zAiOUl28

Christistruth00:



https://www.instructables.com/id/Beehive-made-from-tires/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIWepfLVeYs&t=228s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ojjG5uKoDI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW9zAiOUl28

Seen. Thanks for sharing. Learnt something new. The wooden hives they used in videos (where they transferred the bees to) are called langstroth hives. They yield the most honey. I have couple of units of it, the fulani herd boy/herdman is always tempted to destroy it each time he sights it. I can't afford to gamble my $60 on each of this hive knowing fully well I will loose it all to the fulani boy!

saliubello:
Seen. Thanks for sharing. Learnt something new. The wooden hives they used in videos (where they transferred the bees to) are called langstroth hives. They yield the most honey. I have couple of units of it, the fulani herd boy/herdman is always tempted to destroy it each time he sights it. I can't afford to gamble my $60 on each of this hive knowing fully well I will loose it all to the fulani boy!

I watched a video on YouTube about beekeeping in Southern Sudan and to my shock and amazement , one of the major threats faced was destruction of beehives by Herdsmen. These were Traditional hives placed on top of trees, but on the whole the beekeepers were still successful because if they put out 100 very cheap Traditional basket hives and 30 are raided they are still doing well because the hives cost very little to make.

There are also modified Traditional hives in Cameroon and Uganda which yield well.The Traditional reed hive of Uganda was said to yield more than the Kenyan top bar hive.

1.Modified Traditional Beekeeping From Cameroon https://vimeo.com/238070235

2. Uganda reed hive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRqexbMhSiA&app=desktop

Christistruth00:



I watched a video on YouTube about beekeeping in Southern Sudan and to my shock and amazement , one of the major threats faced was destruction of beehives by Herdsmen. These were Traditional hives placed on top of trees, but on the whole the beekeepers were still successful because if they put out 100 very cheap Traditional basket hives and 30 are raided they are still doing well because the hives cost very little to make.

There are also modified Traditional hives in Cameroon and Uganda which yield well.The Traditional reed hive of Uganda was said to yield more than the Kenyan top bar hive.

1.Modified Traditional Beekeeping From Cameroon https://vimeo.com/238070235

2. Uganda reed hive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRqexbMhSiA&app=desktop

I'm working on some kind of modifications on the Kenyan top bar hives. Hopefully, someday if the result is astounding I might share the outcome.

One new colonized bee hive is similar to a planted tree seedling with ability to yield fruits for a very long time to come. 10,000 hives over the remaining period of my lifetime! But remember, I'm currently engaged in a lot of activities now; will certainly retire into beekeeping and the processing of its products. My kids will continue wherever I stop.

We die here..

saliubello:
I'm working on some kind of modifications on the Kenyan top bar hives. Hopefully, someday if the result is astounding I might share the outcome.

One new colonized bee hive is similar to a planted tree seedling with ability to yield fruits for a very long time to come. 10,000 hives over the remaining period of my lifetime! But remember, I'm currently engaged in a lot of activities now; will certainly retire into beekeeping and the processing of its products. My kids will continue wherever I stop.

We die here..

We will live long and be well In Jesus Name

New apiary loading, Kenyan top bar style

I have been passionate at beekeeping since 2017. After surfing the internet enough for tutorials, i decided to construct a10 frame langstroth hive. The hive was installed in a rubber dominated farm in ondo state and baited with essential lemongrass oil. Sugar syrup filled container lid was also placed beside the hive. Bees came next morning and suck up the solution but refuse to colonise the hive. The lid was filled with sugar syrup four times again but yield no result. I returned to Lagos with doubts of success. I taught the reason could be inability to bait the hive with beewax or honeycomb. I did not know where to get them, that was the reason. Meanwhile, i decided to construct two more standard 11 frames langstroth hive using a beespace of 7mm for african bees strain. The first hive bee space was 10mm but that should not be the reason for swarm refusal to colonise. After finally obtaining beewax from a distant person (Mr Azeez) by contact through nairaland, i returned to ondo state with the two new hives. The three hives ( one initially installed) were later smeared with the beewax and i travelled back to lagos the next day expecting good news from my uncle, the rubber farm owner. After waiting several months without positive results, i called Mr Azeez and explained the problem. He adviced me to use honey comb instead of beewax and i hurriedly ordered for it. Upon receival, i returned to the farm on january 27 2019 and fixed the combs to the frame after dipping in honey. Sugar syrup was also placed at each entrance. Next morning, bees sucked up the sugar solution and scout bees were found inspecting the hives hours later. I waited five days to see whether at least, one of the hives will be colonised but to my surprise, none. I returned to lagos unhappy. Four weeks ago i called a professional in beekeeping and explained the issue to him and how worried i am. He asked for the dominating forage source and i replied rubber. Rubber is not a reliable forage source for bees because it flowers once in a year and the type of wood (teak) for the hives body could be the reason but the first is not teak though the wood is not known.
OP or any other willing person, i need your assistance in getting package bees from your apiary or allow me to bring a nuc box to your apiary to collect bees. I am ready to negotiate.

honifome:
I have been passionate at beekeeping since 2017. After surfing the internet enough for tutorials, i decided to construct a10 frame langstroth hive. The hive was installed in a rubber dominated farm in ondo state and baited with essential lemongrass oil. Sugar syrup filled container lid was also placed beside the hive. Bees came next morning and suck up the solution but refuse to colonise the hive. The lid was filled with sugar syrup four times again but yield no result. I returned to Lagos with doubts of success. I taught the reason could be inability to bait the hive with beewax or honeycomb. I did not know where to get them, that was the reason. Meanwhile, i decided to construct two more standard 11 frames langstroth hive using a beespace of 7mm for african bees strain. The first hive bee space was 10mm but that should not be the reason for swarm refusal to colonise. After finally obtaining beewax from a distant person (Mr Azeez) by contact through nairaland, i returned to ondo state with the two new hives. The three hives ( one initially installed) were later smeared with the beewax and i travelled back to lagos the next day expecting good news from my uncle, the rubber farm owner. After waiting several months without positive results, i called Mr Azeez and explained the problem. He adviced me to use honey comb instead of beewax and i hurriedly ordered for it. Upon receival, i returned to the farm on january 27 2019 and fixed the combs to the frame after dipping in honey. Sugar syrup was also placed at each entrance. Next morning, bees sucked up the sugar solution and scout bees were found inspecting the hives hours later. I waited five days to see whether at least, one of the hives will be colonised but to my surprise, none. I returned to lagos unhappy. Four weeks ago i called a professional in beekeeping and explained the issue to him and how worried i am. He asked for the dominating forage source and i replied rubber. Rubber is not a reliable forage source for bees because it flowers once in a year and the type of wood (teak) for the hives body could be the reason but the first is not teak though the wood is not known.
OP or any other willing person, i need your assistance in getting package bees from your apiary or allow me to bring a nuc box to your apiary to collect bees. I am ready to negotiate.

I'm impressed by the tenacity and persistence you brought along. At first reading, the type of wood used for the hives is the problem. Its probably the cheapest of woods having certain toxic characteristics or offensive odour which the bees find repulsive. I wouldn't say you should make new hives, but when ever you wish to make another set ensure it's made of Meligna wood.

2. Where are siting the hives?? Position them next to a landmark e.g flower/plant hedges, next to a big tree or plant.

3. Smear all the frames with beewax judiciously. Preferably, make a thin strip of beewax as foundation on the frames.

4. Platform?? On what platforms do you place them?? If iron stand, ensure the 4legs are immersed in black oil. This is keep other insects away from the hives.

Chat me up if none of this works.

Money to be made in beekeeping

Your peculiar challenge in catching a swarm is a general problem. The business of selling packaged bees is the new business idea anyone could work on and smile to the bank.

I currently catch swarms here and there using small catcher boxes which I usually later transfer after colonization to bigger boxes.

Your next answer is this, for any serious commercial beekeeping operation. You might need to undergo training on queen breeding. That solves all your apiary expansion challenges.

saliubello:
I'm impressed by the tenacity and persistence you brought along. At first reading, the type of wood used for the hives is the problem. Its probably the cheapest of woods having certain toxic characteristics or offensive odour which the bees find repulsive. I wouldn't say you should make new hives, but when ever you wish to make another set ensure it's made of Meligna wood.

2. Where are siting the hives?? Position them next to a landmark e.g flower/plant hedges, next to a big tree or plant.

3. Smear all the frames with beewax judiciously. Preferably, make a thin strip of beewax as foundation on the frames.

4. Platform?? On what platforms do you place them?? If iron stand, ensure the 4legs are immersed in black oil. This is keep other insects away from the hives.

Chat me up if none of this works.

The stands were made of bamboo. Spent engine oil was applied on the surrounding soil and greaze was smeared all over the base. Surrounding grasses was cleared and the hives were placed besides Gmelina and kapok trees. The outer circumference vegetation is rubber. Gmelina trees was in heavy blossom the last time (january) i performed the baiting operation. I attached a drawn honey comb filled with honey to the top bar of the frames. Based on my research, i am confident on the baiting process.
Can i have your whatsapp number so we can chat up?

honifome:
The stands were made of bamboo. Spent engine oil was applied on the surrounding soil and greaze was smeared all over the base. Surrounding grasses was cleared and the hives were placed besides Gmelina and kapok trees. The outer circumference vegetation is rubber. Gmelina trees was in heavy blossom the last time (january) i performed the baiting operation. I attached a drawn honey comb filled with honey to the top bar of the frames. Based on my research, i am confident on the baiting process.
Can i have your whatsapp number so we can chat up?

I do know very well that bees can forage over a distance of 4kms away, various literatures confirm that. That your location does not have a blooming vegetation at a time couldn't be a reason, they travel far and wide in search of nectar..

Lastly, langstroth hives take longer time to colonize.
But when they do, you are good to go. 08050323434, 08028873809

honifome:
The stands were made of bamboo. Spent engine oil was applied on the surrounding soil and greaze was smeared all over the base. Surrounding grasses was cleared and the hives were placed besides Gmelina and kapok trees. The outer circumference vegetation is rubber. Gmelina trees was in heavy blossom the last time (january) i performed the baiting operation. I attached a drawn honey comb filled with honey to the top bar of the frames. Based on my research, i am confident on the baiting process.
Can i have your whatsapp number so we can chat up?

The wood is not likely the problem

location close to flowering plants where they can sip on pollen and what not and...


smear the edges of your frames with enough wax if possible with a bit of honey to give it that flava


and you can also check on youtube how to apply wax melted on plastic foundation with wooden frames it has been sugg in some cases that bees dont like plastic and wouldnt mess with them but applying bees wax front left center inward outward makes it better



one more thing how much did you construct your langstrooth hives for? can you post how your frames look like

saliubello:
The visit to the PRO..QUEEN BREEDER

I thereafter set out to learn from the master. Perhaps I could hedge a living from this enterprise.

My dad called him on phone and that I will be coming to discus some matters with him. That he should attend to me very well.

I met him in his office/home. He was kinda busy that day trying to set his new office in the garage of his house. I discuss why I had come. I want to learn bee keeping. And that I'm not interested In teaching others for me. But I want to be able:
1. To have my own apiary
2. To breed the queen and be able to own large numbers of bee hive within a very short time.
3. Produce honey in commercial quantity ONLY.


These wishes were too much. He gave me a bill of N75,000.

I was broken. You mean you will actually collect N75000. In installments, he said No. But Full.

I thought to pay him actually and not tell my dad. But when he said he is not collecting instalment payments so I gave up.

I Left his office and decided right there I will not seek to be a PRO but at least will do basic beekeeping. Then I journey home.

Abeg gimme his contact

saliubello:
I do know very well that bees can forage over a distance of 4kms away, various literatures confirm that. That your location does not have a blooming vegetation at a time couldn't be a reason, they travel far and wide in search of nectar..

Lastly, langstroth hives take longer time to
But when they do, you are good to go. 08050323434, 08028873809

Please carry on with this thread it is very important and it is the only thread on beekeeping.