Apiculture/beekeeping – SS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note (Second Term)

Apiculture, also called beekeeping, is the scientific method of rearing honeybees in hives. The person who keeps bees is an apiarist, and the place where the bees are kept is an apiary (bee-yard).

Behavioural objectives

1. Define apiculture and state the meaning of apiarist and apiary.
2. Name the two major types of bees and give examples of each.
3. State the importance of apiculture.
4. Describe the composition of honey and how bees make it from nectar.
5. List the precautions to take when rearing bees.

What are the key terms in apiculture?

Key terms in apiculture are the words used to describe bees, their home and the person who keeps them.

• Apiculture: the keeping and management of honeybees, also called beekeeping.
• Apiarist: a beekeeper, the person who looks after bees.
• Apiary: the place where beehives are kept, also called a bee-yard.
• Hive: the box, log or container in which a colony of bees lives.
• Colony: the whole group of bees living together in one hive.
• Nectar: the sweet liquid produced by flowers, which bees collect.

Why do farmers keep bees?

Farmers keep bees to obtain hive products, to improve crop yield and to earn income.

• Honey: collected for food and for sale.
• Beeswax: the wax bees use to build comb, used for candles, polish and cosmetics.
• Propolis: a sticky substance bees make from plant resins to seal gaps in the hive.
• Pollen: collected from flowers, used by bees as food and sometimes sold as a supplement.
• Royal jelly: a rich food produced by worker bees to feed young larvae and the queen.
• Pollination: bees carry pollen between flowers on crops.
• Sale of bees: some apiarists produce colonies to sell to other beekeepers.

Where does beekeeping fit on the farm?

Beekeeping fits into small-scale integrated farming and does best where there are flowers and water.

• Integrated farming: beekeeping is an important part of small-scale integrated farming systems.
• Best sites: near natural forests, or on farms with plenty of water and flowers.

What are the types of bees?

There are two major types of bees: indigenous bees and exotic bees.

Indigenous bees

Indigenous bees are local bees commonly found in the local environment.

• Meaning: local bees commonly found in the local environment, such as the African black bee.
• Origin: they are mainly of African origin.
• Size and growth: they have a smaller body size and a lower growth rate.
• Output: they have low productive ability, with lower honey and wax production.
• Economic value: they are not very economical for commercial production of honey and wax.

Exotic bees

Exotic bees are bees imported from other countries into West Africa.

• Meaning: bees imported from other countries into West Africa.
• Breeding: these species can interbreed and hybridise.
• Selective breeding: breeders try to produce disease and parasite resistance, good honey yield, less swarming, prolific breeding and a mild temper.
• Brand names: some hybrids are sold under names such as the Buckfast Bee or Midnite Bee.

Examples of exotic bees

• Western honey bee (Apis mellifera): has several subspecies, listed below.
• Italian bee (Apis mellifera ligustica): a subspecies of the Western honey bee.
• European dark bee (Apis mellifera mellifera): a subspecies of the Western honey bee.
• Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica): a subspecies of the Western honey bee.
• Asiatic honey bee (Apis cerana): a separate species from Asia.

What is the difference between indigenous bees and exotic bees?

• Indigenous bees: local bees, small in size, with low honey and wax output.
• Exotic bees: imported bees, often bred for higher honey yield and mild temper.

Who lives in a bee colony?

A bee colony has three kinds of members: the queen, the workers and the drones.

What equipment does an apiarist use?

Beekeeping equipment protects the apiarist and helps in handling the hive and harvesting honey.

• Beehive: the home of the colony, either traditional (log, clay pot or basket) or modern (wooden box hive).
• Bee suit, veil and gloves: protective clothing against stings.
• Smoker: produces smoke to calm the bees before the hive is opened.
• Hive tool: a flat metal bar used to open the hive and loosen combs.
• Bee brush: used to move bees gently off the comb.
• Honey extractor and containers: used to remove honey from the comb and store it.

Why is apiculture important?

Apiculture is important because it gives hive products, raises crop yield and provides income.

1. It provides honey and beeswax, which are used commercially.
2. Bees pollinate flowers, which helps to increase the yield of many crops.
3. It is a source of income for the rearers.
4. Honey and other hive products are used as food and in traditional medicine.
5. Bees can be sold to other beekeepers.
6. It needs little land, so it suits small-scale farmers.

What is the nutritional composition of honey?

Honey is a sweet food made by bees from nectar, and it is mainly sugar with a little water.

Food of the honeybee

• Nectar: a sweet sap or sugar syrup made by special glands in flowers. It supplies sugar (carbohydrate).
• Pollen: supplies protein and fat.
• Source: bees collect both from wild and cultivated plants.
• Diet: nectar and pollen together make up the bees’ whole diet.

Composition of nectar

• Water: nectar is mostly water, with 50 to 90% water.
• Sugar: mainly sucrose.
• Other substances: small amounts of aromatic substances, colouring materials and minerals.

Composition of honey

• Water: the final honey contains 14 to 19% water.
• Sugars: honey is mainly sugar, mostly glucose and fructose.
• Minor substances: small amounts of minerals, enzymes, aroma and colouring materials.

How do bees make honey from nectar?

Bees make honey by collecting nectar, adding enzymes to it and drying it in the hive.

1. Worker bees collect nectar from flowers and carry it in their bodies.
2. Back in the hive, they pass the nectar to other worker bees.
3. The bees add enzymes made in their bodies. One of them, invertase, breaks sucrose into glucose and fructose.
4. They reduce the moisture content by fanning the nectar with their wings, until the honey contains 14 to 19% water.
5. The honey is stored in the cells of the comb and sealed with wax.

What precautions should be taken when rearing bees?

The main precautions protect the apiarist from stings and keep the colony calm and well sited.

1. Wear protective clothing, such as a bee suit, veil and gloves, to avoid being stung.
2. Seek medical advice in the case of allergies.
3. Keep a first aid kit on standby in case of emergencies.
4. Use a smoker to calm the bees before opening the hive.
5. Move slowly and avoid sudden movements near the hive.
6. Site the apiary away from homes, footpaths and livestock.
7. Provide a water source and flowering plants near the apiary.

Evaluation

1. Define apiculture and name the person who practises it.
2. What is an apiary?
3. State three characteristics of indigenous bees.
4. Give two examples of exotic bees with their scientific names.
5. List four reasons why apiculture is important.

Assignment

Write a short guide for a new beekeeper. Explain how bees change nectar into honey and state three precautions to take when rearing bees.