I will be sharing my exploits in this neglected area of agric. I was made to understand that Europe and the Middle East offers interesting opportunities for exporters of honey as sweeteners and other honey by-products.

Enjoy.

Note: The diary will terminate after the honey harvest. Enjoy reading

Edited
I'm returning today 4th October 2020 to continue the diary. Hope you will learn something from the experiences.

Keenly following thread.

Following keenly.

From my personal experience of beekeeping and honey trading, beekeeping isn't a get rich quick business but a sure and steady stream of alternative income. In our local parlance, income from beekeeping will fill a gap afterwards.

Though honey has a thriving local market in Nigeria, honey commands very high demand at the international market. Vietnam is among world’s leading honey exporters in both volume and value. Honey, as an important export item, has penetrated demanding markets like the US, EU and Japan.

Following

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.

This images prompt my wanting to know about bee-keeping. But I never bothered actively to search for knowledge on it, either going for training or reading voraciously about it.

Not too long again after this visit. I went to visit my Dad in my hometown. While we we were having discussions about the farms and his farming operations. He mentioned to me that he had allowed some persons from Abeokuta to come keep bee hives on our farm. And that those persons needed a bee-keeping training site of some sort. Fast Forward and Much later, the team will come from abeokuta with alot of small, small boxes
I then later found out those small boxes are called CATCHERS. As the name implies, they are used for catching bee swarms (those migrating or looking for a new house) after they might have been disturbed in there place of abode.

The practice is to catch the swarm by providing a temporary shelter for them. Much later, you will transfer the bees into a larger box in the intended location you want to site your bee farm.

Our farm was literarily their training site. With lots swarm catchers. They bring people to train in the art of bee keeping. This involves video recording, bee hive inspection and all that. I was never around when they came. My dad will usually stay with them and when Im around He would tell me how the team came around.


These still didnt fascinate me.

At another time, I saw a yellow plastic container in the farm. Similar to the Vaccine Boxes carried by health officers going about for immunization of children in the local communities. The difference was that this particular box is with holes (net-like), with handle and a small cap or lid that fits tightly. (((Will Upload the picture when next I come across it))).

Then I was told, those containers were used to transport the bees to Abeokuta. Abeokuta is about 42km to Igboora. They had literarily arrested all the bees and taken them to another farm in Abeokuta. He described the procedures to me. The queen identification, clipping and caging. The Funnel siphon, the water spray, the smoke application, the turning over, slight tapping and finally sealing the container...without any single bee leaving from each colony.

This fascinated me greatly..

Finally, I was told he is a Pro. and that its unfortunate how we usually miss each other when he is around.

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.

Items needed for beekeeping

Items needed for beekeeping

3 vital items for beekeeping

1. Knowledge
2.Land space.
3.Bee suit, gloves, and boot

Following

Very interesting topic, following. Please if they are ready to train with reasonable pricing let us know

4 most important things needed in beekeeping.

1. Land space. Where the bees will not be disturbed at all. Sited too close to an area with wandering animals could pose a great risk/challenge if they go near the bees. They will sting anything insight..

2. Bee suit: These are custom made clothe or regalia worn in handling bees., these includes; wellington boot or any boot, hand gloves. They are all protective coverings against bee sting.

3. Knowledge. Information rules the world. Good knowledge of the art of beekeeping is very vital. You must know what you are doing.. you must be able to understand the bee signals.. etc..

4. Interest. Interest . It could be for the money, for pleasure, for exercise or hobby.

I started out as hobby.. not a bad idea to start here but I suggest you know why you re doing it. This is what propels you.

My regrets.

1. Didn't start early.

2. Didn't buy standard beehives before starting out. I was improvising. Building the hives via an inexperienced artisan that does shoddy jobs for me. This led to poor honey yield repeatedly for a long time...

3. Not buying the correct bee suit from the masters..I was always stunged by bees each time I go near them. This occurred too often than I thought. But the learning curve is worthwhile.

Harvesting

Honey processing

The process was usually by hand squeezing. Un-hygienic and labourous.

I solved that once and for all.



I saw this and I made this! Honey processing becomes easier and faster and clean too.

Not satisfied, this is where we are going in terms of clean, smooth and efficient honey processing


This system involved the "oyinbo styled" beehive that you be harvesting honey every 2 months if the environment is rich in flowers of all shades

Financial matters..

A standard Kenyan Top Bar hives can yield up to 25litres, so the literature says. I have never achieved that. Maybe I get 8-10 litres per hive or less.

My learning curve indicates it can be more.

When I first started, I get about 100 litres from 26boxes, ( 100 x 2500N, trust me, I made that cash. Sometimes ago, I made a thread about honey in 2015, check on nairaland) the boxes includes mostly students' hostel cupboards that were converted to beehives, without any manipulation or management practice, just leave and go.. so if i can make standard sized beehives with adequate management, I should reach 25litres per hive in future


Unfortunately, I lost all those beehives to fire incident at the site, but I'm starting all over now..

Currently i have 10 standard beehives in a good location free from thieves and roaming animals or fulani maruders. I'm anticipating minimum of 50litres because I do not have time to take care of them..

I will keep you posted..

Once I visit, I will bring pictures.

You can do it actively if you can do it right. I had not been doing it right.. But the resolve is to turn this neglected area into an active money spinner for myself.

What you see with KENYAN TOP BAR HIVES

Top bars. 2 variants. Flat or pointed..

I prefer the pointed, the combs are built along the edges. The flat types encourage crisscrossing of honey combs

saliubello:
Top bars. 2 variants. Flat or pointed..

I prefer the pointed, the combs are built along the edges. The flat types encourage crisscrossing of honey combs

i am thinkn of going with flowhives with plastic flowframes and all ,thati fully want to go for this you mind if we talk privately

Papertrail11:


i am thinkn of going with flowhives with plastic flowframes and all ,thati fully want to go for this you mind if we talk privately

we are coming there. That's where we are going.. But if we just start there with this African bees, we might not get it right.. Once I start that next chapter, will definitely share the stints with you..

The practice is still crude and rudimentary but we have initiated the plans for acquisition of those high tech variants. Stay tuned.

How to make money from Beekeeping

There are varieties of ways of making money from Beekeeping.
1. Honey sales:: You can make money selling the product- honey. It is an all-time commodity always in demand. Either with marketing or not, they will come seeking it. Especially if it is confirmed to be original. You set your price, provided it's genuine.

2. Propolis.
3. Bee wax.
4. Bee equipment and accessories sales.
5. Training in beekeeping: It is advised for new entrants to join a training session in beekeeping. Where you will be taught about the art of beekeeping. What you need to look out for in the beehive, how to locate or site your apiary, understanding the business and workings of bees, what equipment your need and the best type of beehive for you.. Learning is the first step to success! Dont do like me by wasting your money and time while trying to save cost unnecessarily and still spending more for less productivity.

Factors affecting the quantity of honey you can produce per colony/beehive. These mainly depends on a number of factors that are interconnected. Some of the most important factors that affect the amount of honey produced are:

Availability of bee pasture
The queen’s condition
Hive population
Nutrition
Swarming
Space in the hive for expansion of the brood nest and storage of honey
The colony’s freedom from pests and predators
The beekeeper’s experience in both apiary and hive management
The weather

For new entrants in bee keeping, there are some fiixed assets you must first invest on. They are:

bee hive,
protective clothing,
hand gloves,
knife, cutlasses and
sieve. These are basically the most important for starting a beekeeping enterprise.

saliubello:
For new entrants in bee keeping, there are some fiixed assets you must first invest on. They are:

bee hive,
protective clothing,
hand gloves,
knife, cutlasses and
sieve. These are basically the most important for starting a beekeeping enterprise.

how did you source out bees

how can intrested folks get them unto new fresh hives

Papertrail11:



how did you source out bees

how can intrested folks get them unto new fresh hives

There are various ways of getting bees into the hive.

1. Natural method: Involves baiting the hive and waiting for a swarm to colonize it. The commonest method. I use this method as a lot of people do too. However, for better honey business; we need to move away from this method.

2. Splitting a colony: This is done by breaking/splitting a colony. It involves your intervention while using basic knowledge of rearranging the top bars depending on the attached combs.

3. Buying a colony: This involves buying a starter colony from a professional. It will be shipped to you. Even it can be ferried from Nigeria to Australia. This is the stage I am aiming at. You don't wait for a swarm to catch, but you create your colony and the required number you need. But I'm currently liaising with a Pro who can be supplying colonies to newbies who want to start for a fee.

This is my honey journey

good work op