Wednesday, August 25, 2010

African Bee Adventures

Uganda is blessed with abundant flora which attracts honey bees, providing a great opportunity for farmers to supplement their incomes. 

At the Timothy Centre we have begun workshops for those interested in learning more about beekeeping.  Lesster Leow, an expert in handling the African bee, has helped to get the beekeeping training program up and running.  In July we held a workshop and another is scheduled for the end of August.

P1030855 The workshop spans 6 days and most of the training is done in the on site apiary.  Participants learn proper apiary management, how to bait hives (to attract bees to enter empty hives)…

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… placement of hives…

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…proper care and handling of a hive…P1030979

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…and how to  identify the queen.

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Participants were trained in caring for 4 types of hives:  log hives, traditional rattan hives, langstroth and top bar hives.

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At the end of the 6 day workshop we were able to harvest our first comb of honey!

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The strength of the program is not only the hands on experience they gain, but that participants will receive on going follow up in assisting them to establish their own apiaries.

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