A Simple Guide To Beekeeping
Beekeeping ( Otherwise referred to as Apiculture ) is an untapped goldmine in the Nigerian agricultural sector as it is a very profitable business which require very little capital to start with, Requires less waec gce answer attention and Quite contrary to general knowledge has other Products that gives pretty much meaningful financial and medicinal value just like its major product which is Honey.
With a capital of less than 50,000 NGN, One can start beekeeping with ease and still continue with their daily business/job or source of income without any of them being at loggerheadsThe major equipment needed to start this profitable business includes but not limited to Beehives
-Complete Bee Suit ( with Hand gloves and Rubber boots )
-Bee Smoker
-Bee Brush
With the above all under 50,000NGN
A major requirement to go into this business is sighting a piece of land to use as your apiary, This land will be where you place your Beehive(s) after baiting it to attract the bees so as for them to colonize the hive and make their abode
This piece of land should have
-Lots of greens ( flowers, pollens, Nectar ) for the bees to feed om
-A close source of water nearby
-A meaningful distance from where people reside ( for safety reasons )
-Should have trees or shades where the Hives can be placed underneath to serve as a protection from direct sunlight or rainfall to the bees
After placing the Baited beehive on the farmland, You leave the hive for it to be colonized by bees, You can check every three days or week to check if the bees have colonized the hive, Once the Hive has been colonized by the Bees, You only need to check it once in a month ( With wearing your bee suit and also with a Bee smoker to calm the Bees )
There are two harvest cycles in a year, Each takes around 4-6 months to have pure honey that is ready to harvest ( this is dependent on the type of Bee colony that colonizes the hive ).
You harvest the honey comb at the end of each harvest cycle or whenever your honey is ready for harvest and then you extract your honey from the honeycomb, other products you can get from the Honeycomb include Beeswax, Propolis etc.
After Harvesting from the hive , you leave it there for the Bees to continue the process or if the Bees leave to look for another abode, You can rebait the hive and place it in a strategic position on your farmland to attract another swarm of Bees.
The above is just a simple summary of what Beekeeping entails and not in any way an extensive or complete guide to beekeeping.
Honeyman is an Agricultural Business that is focused on Beekeeping ( Apiculture )
At HoneyMan_Ng, We are levitating Beekeeping as we bring innovative and sustainable patterns to the Agribusiness to make it more profitable and jamb runs Eco-Friendly.