10 Must-Have Beekeeping Equipment For Every Kenyan Farmer

Beekeeping is a rewarding and environmentally beneficial practice that has gained popularity among farmers in Kenya.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced beekeeper, having the right equipment is crucial for successful and efficient beekeeping. Savannah Honey, founded ten years ago to build a community of smart, motivated, and socially responsible beekeepers in Africa, has all you need.

Here are 10 must-have beekeeping equipment for every Kenyan farmer found at Savannah Honey:

Langstroth Beehive:

The beehive is the central component of any beekeeping operation. In Kenya, Langstroth Beehives are commonly used.

Langstroth Beehive from Savannah Honey helps you to:

• Harvest honey without killing the queen because of the queen’s excluder thus no absconding,
• Harvest Without destroying the combs by the use of the honey extractor thus no waste of time in making new combs
• Harvest 3-5 times a year leading to high yields of honey,
• They are fitted with treated comb starters for attracting bees and also for helping the bees build combs diagonally.
• They are made of treated pine which makes them long-lasting.
• They are easy to operate when harvesting bee pollen, propolis, bee venom, wax, royal jelly, and honey.

Langstroth beehives are synonymous with beekeeping, and their popularity, as well as effectiveness, has tasted the test of time and it tops our list as a must-have for your beekeeping.

Read Also: Take Advantage Of Langstroth Hives Offer And Make Millions From Honey

Refractometer

The refractometer enables the beekeeper to ensure the quality of honey output is consistent and of the highest quality.

The refractometer works by measuring the refractive index of honey. In principle, when there is a change in fluid concentration, the fluid’s refractive index changes, enabling the beekeeping to assess the quality of honey if it has been diluted with water, or tampered with.

Kenyan consumers are increasingly becoming aware of, and consistently demanding quality, pure, unadulterated honey from farmers.

The refractometer comes in aluminum alloy and has been designed to resist rust and abrasion, ensuring the food-grade safety of the honey. It boasts a refractive optical lens with a great refractive index for accurate measurements.

Kenya Top Bar Hive

The Kenya Top Bar Hive has achieved significant success over the years in beekeeping It is an altered version of the Langstroth beehive, but where the honeycombs are suspended at the center of the bar.

The combs thus hang, and the holding frames can be easily removed and returned, especially during harvesting or during routine inspection of the hives.

Therefore, the combs maintain a natural U-shape, just like they would in a natural, open-air hive, and they have stability in design. There is also space within the hive for bees to move from comb to comb since the combs do not attach to the walls of the internal walls of the hive.

The Kenya Top Bar Hive is relatively cheaper to purchase. On the downside, since the combs are suspended from the top bars, they might run the risk of breaking since they are brittle, so care must be applied during harvesting.

Smoker:

A bee smoker is used to produce smoke that calms the bees during hive inspections. It makes the bees believe that there is a fire nearby, prompting them to gorge on honey. This calms them and reduces the likelihood of aggressive behavior during inspections.

The highest safety standards must be ensured during honey harvesting, and routine checks on beehives during normal apiary management. Our Bee Smoker has been designed to guarantee the farmer’s safety, as well as the bees.

It is commonly understood that smoke helps in making bees calm during harvesting by disguising defense pheromones—2-heptanone and isopentyl acetate—making them more docile during these critical operations.

The smoker is easy to use and has sturdy leather bellows to fan the flame of your fuel, as well as a heat shield to prevent the farmer from burning during usage. This simple design is user-friendly and can be operated by novice beekeepers. Furthermore, you can use local fuel to fire the smoker such as charcoal, dry wood, and grass, making it highly applicable for Kenyan beekeepers.

Read Also: Money Is In Honey, Utilize Your Land And Smile To The Bank

Bee Venom Collector

Bee Venom is a leading product of beekeeping and farmers can leverage this resource to boost their income.

Bee venom is a clear liquid excreted by bees through their stingers when they feel endangered. This is an acidic compound containing both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties and has widespread medicinal applications.

The Bee Venom collector is an electronic device powered by 2 AA batteries that release a small electric shock that stimulates bees to release their venom. It is simple to set up and use and is placed at the bottom of the hive, ensuring ease of use and safety of the hive.

The Bee Venom Collector comes with a micro-processor that enables its efficient use, within multiple hives per day. It is encased in high-quality MDF to ensure durability of the device, and ease of use in varying weather conditions. It requires little or no maintenance since the battery can po