BEEKEEPING

Before now, honey hunting from wild bees formed the only source of honey widely marketed. At that time honey was harvested from caves, rocks, holes in trees, openings on roofs of buildings, abandoned properties that have sizable holes, etc.

About this Course

People were finding it very difficult to get enough honey through the honey hunting activities, (Onyekuru, Okorji, & Machebe, 2010; and Eze, 2012). Honey harvested under such very rigorous hunting activities was inadequate and of low quality. Consequently, man started seeking better ways of improving the whole system of getting honey and other beneficial products from bees; which is known as beekeeping or apiculture today.

Beekeeping or apiculture involves the manipulation of bee natural environment, using man-made hive, management of bee colonies and bee hives to promote its developmental stages. It is the science and art of rearing bees for economic, nutritional, social and environmental benefits. This fosters great ease of management and harvesting for higher yields and better quality honey. Bees are kept for the purposes of producing honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen (bee bread), royal jelly and bee venom beneficial to man as food, medicine and income generation.

What you will learn:

• Beekeeping and importance.
• Honeybee behaviour and life cycle.
• Beekeeping system and requirements.
• Steps in beekeeping.
• Honey harvesting and processing.
• Bee pest and predators