Apiconsult News - August 2006

Nyuki

Your African Beekeeping Newsletter

August 2006 Edition
 
Welcome to this issue of Nyuki (meaning bee is Swahili Language).  Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter.  Please send any comments o­n the newsletter to tcarroll@apiconsult.com Tom Carroll, Webmaster Apiconsult

----Resources o­n the Apiconsult Web Site-----

We have added new articles to the beekeeping News and Articles page o­n Apiconsult – a case study of a Kenyan beekeeper and an article o­n Participatory Action Research o­n beekeeping:   http://www.apiconsult.com/beekeeping-news.php

We have also added the latest bee equipment price list for Baraka Agricultural College as a pdf download: 

See http://www.apiconsult.com/beekeeping-resources.htm  for more information.

-----August in a Kenyan Apiary-----

The weather is good here at the moment and the bees are busy!  I have noted a new flowering acacia (I hadn’t noticed before) not far from the apiary in bloom at the moment (I understand I should no longer use the term acacia for African acacia trees as it has been patented by Australia!).  Acacia gerarrdii is in bloom and is covered in bees.  There is also another acacia in bloom – Acacia senegal – I have yet to confirm I have identified these trees correctly!   I have also noted stands of Eucalyptus some of which are in bloom.  These may be the trees that have been giving the September honey flow from previous years.

The Apiary Status:  

I finally got around to doing something about hive occupation rates.  Since the last newsletter the following has happened: 1 colony absconded from the bee house, two catcher boxes absconded, o­ne hive was occupied by a swarm (bees in my catcher boxes may have migrated to the bee house).  I transferred 5 new nucleus colonies into the bee house.  Three divisions in catcher boxes and two artificial swarms in sacks – the latter method was very interesting and easy.  I will write a full article o­n this process o­nce I see how the bees settle and make queens etc. 

If you have any comments about my beekeeping efforts you are welcome to share them with others o­n the following page: http://www.apiconsult.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4

-----Participatory Action Research (PAR) o­n beekeeping-----

The PAR workshop held o­n July 21^st was very interesting and successful.  Beekeepers analysed the issue they had identified as their number o­nce concern – low hive occupation rates.  From the data collected this is indeed a problem with many hives without bees.  You can read an account of the PAR process at: http://www.apiconsult.com/action-research.htm

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

·          Baraka Agricultural College, Molo, Kenya has a o­ne-week course o­n ‘Establishing a Beekeeping Enterprise’ from August 6^th-12^th 2006.

·          Baraka Agricultural College, Molo, Kenya August 13th to 19^th 2006 - Making Bee Equipment.  See the following page for more details:

http://www.apiconsult.com/beekeeping-training.htm

·          The First Tanzanian National Honey Show – Dodoma – 28^th to 29^th September 2006 see Press Release for more information:

http://www.apiconsult.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30

Please Note:  If you run training courses/other events o­n beekeeping please forward details to us to help you promote your activity.

Best regards,
 
Tom Carroll
Apiconsult
The African Beekeeping Resource Centre

Box 12173, Nakuru, Kenya.

Tel:  254 733 716948
Web Site: http://www.apiconsult.com
E-mail:  info@apiconsult.com