Importance of Keeping Bees

Importance of  Keeping Bees

✓Traditionally honey was collected from wild bees in forests.

✓Honey has become very popular with many people

✓This has necessitated the improvement in ways of rearing bees and the science of keeping bees is known as APICULTURE..✍️

Reasons for Apiculture (keeping bees)

(a) Production of honey which is:

     1.A high energy feed.

     2.Sweetener for       beverage and soft drinks.

      3.Medicinal, as it is used to dress fresh wounds.

(b) The honey and the beeswax are sold to earn income for the farmer.

(c) They require little capital and land to keep.

(d)Bees are good pollinators for many crops.

     TYPES OF BEES

√Ther are mainly two types of bees,namely the African wild bee

and the European bee.

√The most important bee species found in Africa from Morocco to South Africa is called APIS MELLIFERA ADANSONII

which has the following characteristics:

✓Well adapted to local weather conditions such as high Temperatures.

✓It has high flying power and hence can fly for long distances.

✓It is fairly resistant to the diseases that attack bees such as acarive and American foul brood disease.

✓It is more active in the search of food and water and also  protection of the hive.

✓It is vicious if manhandled.

  THE EUROPEAN BEE HAS THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS

√It is more gentle and larger than the African bee.

√  Less active and vicious than the African bee.

√It is susceptible to diseases that attack bees..