Bee keeping is one of the lucrative business opportunities among farmers as honey is a source of both several health benefits as well as source of income.
However before honey harvesting the farmer should prepare and arrange the basic needed equipments such as bee suit, hat and veil, hand gloves, gumboots, bucket with lid, smoker, knife and safety matches to ensure safety during harvesting.
Pre harvesting activities
Always wear protective clothing and make sure you are adequately protected thereafter fill the smoker with enough material that will last in the harvesting period.
Then lit the smoker and wear the honey harvesting gear.
Harvesting activities
First blow smoke starting from sides, under lid and entrance last as this will cause bees around the entrance to run back inside the hive.
Then blow smoke over the top bars to make sure bees on them enter the hive and after identify the empty size using knife to knock the top bars as empty combs make the loudest noise.
Furthermore, remove top bars with knife starting from empty side, smoke the bees on combs, gently brush them into the hive and cut mature combs into container.
Additionally, clean the top bars, re arrange them as before and blow smoke on top bars to make all bees move into the hive.
Honey processing
Start by breaking the combs using knife, put them in clean sieve, cover with clean cloth over bucket.
Lastly cover the container with lid to make it air tight and keep filtered honey in plastic containers for good storage.
