Bee-keeping is one of the cheapest farming ventures where one can start with as low as sh500,000 to have a successful farm unlike other agricultural projects that require a lot of capital for inputs, labour and land, among others.
Stephen Kunihira, popularly known as Mr. Bees, says if one wants to start a bee farm, they should consult a specialist to ascertain if the location is favourable.
Below are essential requirements for bee-keeping;
- Flowers that can be pollinated.
- Water from containers, tanks, swamps and lakes because bees need water in honey making.
- At least more than 10 bee hives. The langstroth bee hive is very good for domestic or business bee keeping because a farmer extracts honey without destroying the bee hive, and it is safe to people in your neighbourhood.
A farmer should keep bees in a place that access to nectar because;
- Bees get too tied when they collect nectar from long distances leading to less honey, and sometimes the bees die.
- Bees catch diseases from other environments.
Christopher Angiro, a NARO researcher, says bee farmers should know that not all trees are good for nectar. He says the good trees should be;
-Able to grow fast
-Drought-resistant
-Multipurpose
-Pest and disease-resistant
-Insect pollinated and easy to propagate.
