Nyuki - Your African Beekeeping Newsletter

Nyuki

Your African Beekeeping Newsletter

July 2004 Edition
 
Welcome to this Month’s issue of Nyuki (meaning bee is Swahili Language).  Thank you o­nce again for subscribing to this e newsletter.  It came as an idea to me that I should include a piece every month o­n my own bee hives at Nakuru, Kenya – what is happening in my apiary.  This month’s edition contains the first piece o­n this.  Please send any comments o­n the e newsletter to tcarroll@apiconsult.com

Asante Sana (Thanks)

Tom Carroll

Webmaster Apiconsult

-----This Month in a Kenyan Apiary-----

My apiary is located in Kiamunyi (meaning field of the Rhino) 10kms outside Nakuru town, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.  The apiary was started in March 2003 with o­ne colony of bees from a division.  This colony later went o­n to yield 40kgs of honey between October and December 2003 – harvested 4 times – each time giving 10kgs.  My hives are kept in a bee house constructed out of local materials – poles, grass and mud.  As of 24^th July 2004 I have 11 KTBH (Kenya Top Bar Hives) – 5 occupied.  Two Langstroth – o­ne occupied and 1 traditional log hive – empty.  Total 14 hives.  Six colonies have absconded over the past few months.  I also have four catcher boxes two of which are occupied.

Management this coming month:

·          Cleaning out hives where bees have absconded in preparation for new swarms.

·          Transferring bees from the catcher boxes into the hives in the bee house.

Next month I will give an update o­n the progress made.  For further information/photos of the apiary have a look at http://www.apiconsult.com/kiamunyi-apiary.htm

-----Beekeeping in Southern Sudan-----

In July 2004 Apiconsult carried out some work in Western Equatoria, Southern Sudan.  To see the impact of beekeeping o­n the lives of ordinary beekeepers see: http://www.apiconsult.com/south-sudan.htm

-----Dates for your diary-----

·          Baraka Agricultural College, Molo, Kenya has a o­ne-week course o­n bee equipment making for artisans from 22^nd to 28^th of August 2004.  Please contact: baraka@africaonline.co.ke

·          Apimondia Dublin, Ireland from 21^st to 26^th August 2005.  For further in formation please have a look at:  http://www.apimondia2005.com

Please Note:  If you run training courses o­n beekeeping in other countries please forward details to us to help you promote your service.

If you would like more information or have any questions/comments, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Best regards,
 
Tom Carroll
Apiconsult
The African Beekeeping Resource Centre
Web Site: http://www.apiconsult.com
E-mail:  info@apiconsult.com

Apiconsult
P. O. Box 3354
Nairobi
Kenya, East Africa.
Tel: 254 733 716948
Fax: 254 51 851526