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Honey harvesting and beekeeping are practices that have stood the test of time in most villages in Kwale County, owing to the dense mangrove forest and kaya forest in the area. Most bee farmers in Majoreni have taken the craft from their forefathers and are now making a living from apiculture. Although the craft has been there for the longest time, production has remained low, and now it has been reducing as time goes by due to prolonged drought as a result of the changing climate. Prolonged dry seasons altered the region’s flowering pattern, affecting water, nectar, and pollen availability.
theThis dry season weakens most colonies, increases the chances of pest attack, reduces the amount of honey produced by farmers, and increases chances of absconding, leaving most farmers powerless each passing year as their income reduces. Having noted this challenge, COMRED, in partnership with the Kwale County Livestock Department, organized a training focused on bee feeding. The training aimed to train the beekeepers in bee-feeding techniques to sustain their colonies through the drought season. This not only supports the continuity of their livelihood source but also maintains the ecological role of bees in pollination and biodiversity preservation of the shrubs and herbs that purely depend on the bees for pollination.
“Just like humans, bees need to have a balanced diet as well. Honeybees require a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water to meet their nutritional needs,” the trainer introduced the bee-feeding concept.
Naturally, they obtain all these nutrients from nectar and pollen. Nectar collected from flowers is the main source of carbohydrates, which provide energy for the bees to carry out their daily tasks. The nectar is later converted into honey. Pollen is the primary source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for honeybees. It provides essential amino acids for larval development and maintenance of the bee immune system. When nectar, pollen, and water become scarce, supplemental feeding can be used to prevent the colony from weakening or even collapsing.
“If you want to make supplemental feed for your bee, you must make sure you meet the daily dietary need.” The most common supplemental feeds are candy and sugar syrup. Candy provides protein and other minerals, while sugar syrup provides carbohydrates to keep the bees active.
The group was made to create a circle, and all ingredients needed to make the supplements were placed at the center. Community members from the group were asked to come to the center to practically prepare the supplement as the trainer was going on with the explanation. I could tell from the way they were looking at the ingredients used to make candy that this was the first time they were making this supplement. I remember Mataka, a bee farmer, saying, “I never knew that I needed to feed my bees; I thought nature had enough resources for my bees. Now I know bees need a balanced diet just like we do.”
How to create a sugar syrup
1. Put 1 part of sugar in a container.
2. Add 1 part of warm water and allow the sugar to fully dissolve.
3. Divide the syrup into feeding containers for feeding.
Preparing candy
1. Put 1 part of icing sugar into a container.
2. Add 1 part of milk powder into the container and mix until you have a consistent mixture.
3. Add honey slowly as you mix until you obtain a doughlike consistency.
Community members prepared the two supplements of the day in preparation for their bees, keenly following the instructions given to them by the trainer.
Feeding bees
After all the supplements were ready, we proceeded to feed our bees at the apiary. The first step was to demonstrate how the supplements are placed in the hive to avoid drowning as the bees feed on the syrup. The candy was placed on a piece of paper and placed in the hive together with a can of sugar syrup. Every time we placed the supplement in the hive, we would see bees coming to feed on the candy and the sugar syrup. Water cans were hung in different parts of the apiary to ensure the bees were well-hydrated during this season. As we left the apiary, we could see all the farmers smile as they now understood how to keep their colony healthy during drought seasons.
Maintaining a good colony at a community level is more than just honey production; it is about climate resilience, food security, and community economic empowerment. Promoting sustainable beekeeping practices ensures sustainable livelihoods for families and ensures we don’t lose the pollination service provided by our bees.
