Native Bee Production:

[mikey]

Native Bee Production
By Pinoy Farmer | March 4, 2008





The native honey bee or the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) are good pollinators of crops. They also produce honey, pollen and wax, all of which could be either directly used by farmers or sold in the market.

Compared with the exotic European honey bee (Apis mellifers), our native honey bees are more resistant to pest and diseases Also, colonies of native bees are available everywhere and so it is easy to start with one or two colonies of this kind of bees. Being tropical, our native bees are smaller and could produce 2 to 6 kg of honey per year while the European bees could yield 50 kg of honey per year. Native honey bees also have greater tendency to abscond or leave suddenly, deserting their hive.

Since 1948, there have been attempts to rear the European honey bees due to several reasons; i.e. gentleness, high honey yield, lesser tendency to abscond, etc. But two major problems have limited the culture of this species. These are: (1) lack of queens and (2) susceptibility to mites.

Because of biological and economic considerations, native honey bees are more suitable to rear by small farmers. Less capital is needed in raising these honeybees. If farmers have enough resources and skills, they may try rearing the European honey bees.

Suitable areas for rearing native honey bees

Colonies of native bees could easily be established in areas where there are plenty of flowering plants throughout the year. Bees in these areas will practically yield more honey.

Having diversified farms, Cavite and Batangas provide good foraging grounds for bee colonies. In Quezon where coconut palms flower throughout the year, bee colonies under coconut plantations would just be alright. Mindanao is another good area to raise honey bees.

One practical method of assessing the suitability of an area for beekeeping is counting the number of wild bee colonies. If the density of bee colonies is high, it means that the area is suitable for bee culture.

Materials needed in transferring wild colonies of bees

1. Wooden hive
2. Frames with wires
3. Nylon plastic
4. Knife
5. Bee veil
6. Bee brush
7. Smoker
8. Ax
9. Bolo
10. Plastic sprayer
11. Queen cage
12. Bee escape

How to transfer honey bees:

Transferring wild colonies of bees to a wooden hive. Be sure that all materials are available.

Bolo or ax may be needed in exposing the colony of native honey bees. Determine the number of combs in the hive. Spray worker bees with small amount of water to prevent bees from flying. A little amount of smoke is needed to drive worker bees away from the first comb. By means of a sharp stainless knife, cut the base of the first comb. Oftentimes, this comb does not contain brood (immature bees) or honey. Using water and smoke, do the same to the other combs.

Fix the comb with capped brood (pupal stage) on the center of the wired frame. To do this, cut evenly the base of the comb. Place the comb below the wired frame and cut through the middle section of the comb by using the wire as guide. Now, could push half of the comb through the wires. Tie the comb to the top bar by means of a plastic straw. Bees will begin to cluster outside the combs because of the disturbance. Occasionally, examine this cluster to see if the queen is with them. One or two combs with capped brood is enough for the new hive depending on the total population of the feral or wild colony. Be sure that the comb attached to the frame would be totally covered by bees after the operation.

Now, look for the queen. Among the bees in the colony, she has the longest abdomen. If you find her, grasp her wings gently with you two fingers. Do not hold her on the abdomen. Put her on the cage together with five newly emerged worker bees. After covering the cage, tie it below the top bar adjacent to the comb. With the queen and two combs on the box, you are now ready to transfer all bees to the box. Give the queen a handful of bees. Some of these bees will guide the remaining bees to the new hive. Apply some smoke to the cluster of bees remaining in the old hive to facilitate the process of bee transfer. After all bees have transferred, bring the box to the desired location.

Transferring a swarm to the box

Bees on swarm are gentle because they have no honey and brood to protect. Wear a bee veil. One could not determine if bees are aggressive or not. Look for the queen and put her on a cage. Place the queen cage on the center of the box. Be sure that one or two frames have wax strip. You may release the queen after four days.

Swarm on leaves or small branches can be shaken into a box containing frames with wax strips.

Transferring honey bees from concrete walls

Some bee colonies may be found in structures which could, not be moved or destroyed for some reasons. In this situation, bees could be forced to transfer to a box by means of a bee escape.

Be sure that there is only one small hole in the feral colony. By means of a sealant, attach the bee escape to the wall to cover the entrance. Bees could get out but they could not get in. Place the box with frames near the entrance. One frame in the box should contain a piece of old comb to attract flying bees.

The queen may transfer to the new hive on or before the fifth day. She does not need to be confined in the cage.

Management of newly transferred colonies

1. Newly transferred colonies are always under stress because of disturbance. We could describe the colony condition as abnormal.

2. Place all boxes on wooden benches 18 inches or more from the ground. Shaded or partially shaded areas provide good location for bee colonies. Apply grease on the legs of benches to prevent ants from attacking or robbing bee colonies.

3. Immediately give sugar syrup (60:40 sugar-water ratio) to the colonies. This will enhance building of new combs.

4. Limit the entrance hole to prevent robbing or drifting of worker bees.

5. Release the queen after four days. By this time, new combs have already been built.

6. Examine all colonies for larvae of wax moth. This is the most common pest of brood. Newly attacked combs usually have small holes on their midrib. They may also contain tunnels of larvae. If any of these symptoms appear, remove all combs after putting the queen in a cage. Give the colony new frames with wax strips and continue feeding. Place the infested combs on a freezer to kill all eggs and larvae of the pest. After 72 hours, these combs could be given back to the bees.

7. Absconding (or desertion of the hive by bees) is usually caused by wax moth infestation of the brood. Absconding is a natural behavior of native honey bees. It is actually a defensive strategy of the bees. Be sure that swarm traps are always in their proper places. Once the colony becomes strong, they could guard the brood against wax moth.

8. At least three combs should have cells with sealed honey. The presence of sealed honey increases the morale of the colony.

Swarming

Swarming is normal among native honey bees. It is one way of increasing their colonies. Since you could not stop this annual activity of the bees, be sure that your swarm traps are hung on branches of nearby trees. Melted bees wax should be applied on these wooden traps to attract swarming bees.

Provide one or two combs of capped brood to the new hive. Shake the bees into the new hive. This could be done with a jerk to cause the bees to slide from the swarm trap.

Construction of bee hives

There are many kinds of bee hives. Traditional hives in the Philippines are usually made of hollow trunks of trees or palms. Ends of these hollow materials are usually plugged with stones or wood. The movable-frame hives are recommended for easier manipulation of combs. Oftentimes, combs have to be inspected to determine the condition of the hive.

Thickness of the wood or bamboo may vary but the internal dimensions must be followed strictly. The most important dimension is the distance between side bars or top bars since the bees always maintain a natural distance between combs. This is called bee space. Width of side bars should be 27 mm.
How to melt bees wax

Wax should be extracted from old and new combs. A cheap solar wax melter could be assembled for this.Wax strips instead of wax foundation.

A locally assembled wax container is submerged in hot (but not boiling) water. Dip a marine plywood twice on the metal containing the melted wax. Be sure to moisten the plywood with soap solution before dipping. Peel off the wax after five seconds. Cut wax sheets into strips for future use. Place the wax strip on the center of the top bar. Use melted wax to glue the wax strip on the bar. Embed wires with melted wax. Bees will position the midrib of their combs on wax-coated wires.

Do’s and dont’s when examining a hive

Always use a hand sprayer to calm the bees. Never use smoke as advised in temperate countries. Use of smoke is appropriate in dealing with European honey bees.

Do not stand in front of the hive. You may be blocking the pathway of bees.

Always wear bee veil. Bees tend to sting near the eyes. If you are stung, apply weak acid after removing the sting from your skin.

Place uncapped brood near the center and capped brood towards the sides.

Cut old and brittle portions of the comb. Queens love to lay eggs on new combs.

Always examine for the presence of wax moth larvae, especially during the rainy season.

Remove combs not covered by bees. Store them in airtight containers containing moth balls.

Splitting the colony

Strong colonies will divide naturally through swarming. You may divide a strong colony by placing the queen and four or five frames of bees in another box. Shake some bees into the second box. Transfer the second box to another location; the farther, the better. Older bees will return to the first box.

Without a queen, bees in the first box will build several queen cells. On the ninth day, destroy small queen cells and leave the biggest one. A young mated queen may start laying eggs at three to four weeks after splitting the colony.

How to harvest honey

Use of honey extractor

This is an expensive device for beginners. But if your group could not put up one extractor, harvesting of honey would be more efficient. Honey extracted through this method is clean. Also, combs could be returned to the hives after processing.

Squeezing of honey combs

By means of a hot knife, cut honey combs into small pieces. Combs with brood are tied to the top bar and returned to the hive. Combs with honey are squeezed by means of a clean muslin cloth. A metal press could also be of help.

Cutting of honey combs

Combs of honey could be cut nicely and wrapped in clean plastic bags. Comb honey could also be stored in dean bottles.

Presentation of your product.Be sure to invest on good labels and clean bottles.

Source: International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) Silang 4118, Cavite, Philippines; Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Visayas Ave., Diliman Quezon City, Philippines; Ford Foundation (FF) 6th Floor, Doarcisa Bldg. Paseo de Roxas, Makati Metro Manila, Philippines; ISBN: 0-942717-31-7

[mikey]

Honeybee Culture under Forest Trees in the Cordillera
By pinoyfarmer | July 8, 2007






Introduction
Many people are used to honey hunting of wild bee colonies in the forest. But due to over-exploitation of the forest resources, there is a decreasing trend in the quantity of colonies in many areas of our forests.

Instead of honey hunting, beekeeping as a livelihood had been introduced in the Cordillera as early as the 70’s. Today, there are quite a number of families that are engaged in beekeeping in the region.

Beekeeping will not only augment family income of upland dwellers and indigenous communities from bee products but also motivate them in the protection and development of forest resources. Beekeeping will also ensure good quality yield of crops through pollination thus, leading to an improved regeneration of trees and promote a good floral diversity.

The integration of beekeeping in the forest plantations and agroforestation projects will ensure the success of such projects.

This manual on beekeeping will help the upland dwellers and the indigenous communities in providing additional livelihood aside from promoting a balanced ecosystem.

The Bee Colony
In order to become a successful beekeeper, it is important to know your bee colony, their behavior and needs.

The bee colony is composed of the queen, the drones and the workers. A strong colony of Apis mellifera of 14 frames could have a population of 50,000 workers, a queen, a few drones, 6,000 eggs, 10,000 larvae and 20,000 pupa. The queen is the female parent of the colony. Her role is only to lay eggs in the colony. A queen lays 1,000 to 1,500 eggs a day. Pheromones produced by the queen is responsible for the coherence of the colony. The drones are the male bees responsible for mating. Drones are larger and stouter than queens or workers. Worker bees are the smallest and the most numerous members of the honeybee colony. The are underdeveloped females with small ovaries and are not capable of producing eggs under normal conditions. The workers are responsible in feeding newly hatched larvae with royal jelly. Worker bees collect pollen nectar, propolis and water and bring them to the hive. Some worker bees remain to guard, clean and build wax combs. These also include the nurse bees that feed the young and queen, and regulate the temperature of the hive.

The bees need wax, nectar, water, flowers, trees and flower buds in order to live. They build a wax comb to store honey and pollen and responsible for egg deposition. Nectar is liquid, sugary substance produced by flowers and is the raw material from which honey is made. Bees also need water. It is added to the honey and serve to cool the hive during hot weather. Bees need flowers from which they collect pollen. Bees also need trees and flower buds to make propolis which they use to seal cracks in the hive and repair combs.

When to Start a Colony
An initial amount of P5,000.00 is required as working capital. The best time to start is during summer. Flowers are in bloom for sufficient source of nectar and pollen. Procure bee colony from reliable source. Usually, a package colony is a three-frame colony. Be sure to check on the following: all stages of broods (egg, larva and pupa) should be present; a young, good laying queen; pollen and nectar. They should be free from mites and diseases.

An Ideal Bee Farm
An apiary or beef farm is a place where the bee colonies are located/placed. Bee colonies can be placed anywhere in forest areas, under the canopy of trees, in agricultural areas, or even in urban areas provided the following criteria are met:

1. It should be located near an area with abundant nectar or pollen-producing plants. The host plants must be within the 3-8 kilometer radius of the apiary, depending on the slope of the area.
2. It should be near the source of clean water. The bees need water to dilute honey and regulate the temperature inside the bee hive.
3. It should have enough windbreaks especially during typhoon seasons.
4. It should be far away from areas with high pesticidal/insecticidal spray or usage.

During the summer months, the colonies must be placed in shaded areas. During cold months, the colonies should be partially exposed to sunlight.

Beekeeping Apparatus and Facilities
1. Bee veil - This is used to protect the neck and face from bee sting. A veil is made from any wide brim and hat and a piece of mosquito net, moslen cloth and screen.

2. Smoker - This is a metal can (often bellows attached) which is used to generate smoke for subduing honeybees. Materials like wood shavings, cow dung or dry leaves are lighted nearest the mouthpiece so that smoke is filtered through the unburned fuel.

3. Gloves - This is used to protect hands from bee sting. Gloves used in beekeeping are usually of the “worker type,” often made of soft leather and canvass-type cloth. Sleeves are sawn to the gloves top to protect the beekeepers from bee sting. The sleeve can be tightened to the arms by the use of a string or elastic bands.

4. Hive tool - This tool is used to help move apart the hive frames inside the bee colony. It can be purchased from bee equipment company or made by a beekeeper from a metal, which is eight to ten inches long. The sharp edge is used for scraping wax and propolis inside the hive.

5. Bee brush - A brush or whisk broom used for removing bees from comb.

6. Bee hive - A container provided for honeybees to nest in. The standard bee hive can be obtained from factory specializing beekeeping equipment. However, a beekeeper can also make a hive using the standard size.

7. Frames with foundation - A frame with a foundation sheet is embedded to the hive, where honey comb is built-up for honey storage and bee multiplication.

8. Extractor - A cylindrical drum with at least 2 frame containers inside into which a handle is attached and driven manually to create centrifugal force which spills out the honey from the encapped honey comb.

Colony/Hive Management
A. Inspection the colonies
Inspect your colonies weekly or every 2 weeks. Inspection is done to check the presence or absence of pests and diseases. Check if there is enough food. Determine when to add wax foundation, and assess the queen’s performance. The following are tips when inspecting colonies:

1. Use bee veil to avoid sting.
2. Do not stand in front of the hive, the foraging bees will be blocked.
3. Remove the outside cover gently. You may not use a smoker when bees seem to be gentle. When smoking is necessary, gently smoke the entrance of the hive.
4. Lift the upper cover gently and puff another smoke.
5. Remove one frame, inspect both sides. Examine the rest of the frames and return to their original position.

B. Brood rearing
This refers to increasing bee population needed for increased honeyflow.

1. Supplemental feeding - Bees will store their honey and pollen during summertime in preparation for rainy season. Since the stored honey have been harvested, the supply left in the brood area is not sufficient to sustain bees during rainy season. Therefore, feeding using sugar substitute is necessary during the rainy season. The syrup is made of sugar with the following concentrations:

60% sugar + 40% water - comb building
40% sugar + 60% water - maintenance
50% sugar + 50% water - brood rearing
2 part sugar + 1 part water - brood rearing

Types of feeder

a. Division board feeder - The sugar syrup is poured into the provision board and at the same time the feeder box. This type of feeder needs floaters.

b. Bottle feeder - Mix a sugar syrup in a clean bottle with small holes on the cover and place it upside down position in a bottom board.

c. Polyethylene bag feeder - The sugar is placed in a plastic bag and pinch with a hole and placed on top of the frames/hive.

Tips in feeding

a. Never feed when it is raining.
b. Reduce the entrance of the bee hives.
c. Take great care not to spill sugar syrup in the apiary, this will cause robbing.
d. See to it that feeders are not accessible from outside.

2. Addition of empty comb - To increase population, the space for the queen to lay her eggs must not be restricted. However, if the space is more what is needed, this must be avoided. The addition of empty comb must have proper timing.

3. Brood support - A colony or hive with few worker bees need support of either sealed or brood bees to maintain the moral of both worker and queen bees. Queen will lay eggs when few bees are available to take care of what she laid and clean the cell for her to lay eggs. Brood support can be from other colony of the same strain and known to have been free from diseases.


C. Bee foraging areas
The bees forage are nectar, pollen, propolis and water.

The locations where the honeybees go and collect nectar, pollen and propolis are called bee foraging/pasture areas. These areas should contain diverse species of vegetation such as forest and fruit trees, shrubs, grasses and weeds, herbs and other agricultural crops that provide benefit to honeybees, man and environment.

Bees can fly 14 kms to a food source when no intervening forage is available. However, the colonies lost weight. When colonies are located 0.75 to 1 km from the food source, they show gains as large as the colonies located at the source provided the weather is favorable for the bee flight. The forest tree species that serve as sources of food for the bees in the Cordillera are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. List of nectar and pollen producing forest trees in the Cordilleras.

Common Name
 Scientific Name
 Family
 
Kitaldag L. oligocarpus Fagaceae
Lipakon L. lipacon Fagaceae
Malalipakon L. bicoloratus Fagaceae
Kilog L. luzonensis Fagaceae
Pangnan bundok L. philippinensis Fagaceae
Olayan L. llanosii Fagaceae
Katiluk L. jordanae Fagaceae
Manaring L. soleriana Fagaceae
Dusong Vaccinum barandanum Iricaceae
Azallea Rhodondendron sp. Iricaceae
Maninik Palaguium tenuipetiolatum Sapotaceae
Dequai Saurauia bontocensis Antinadiceae
Calliandra Calliandra calothyrsus Mimosacea
Whipping willow C. viminalis Myrtaceae
Murray red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis Myrtaceae
Forest red gum E. teriticornis Myrtaceae
Swamp mahogany E. robusta Myrtaceae
Mulberry Morus alba Moraceae
Yemane Gemilina arborea Verbenaceae
Narra Pterocarpus indicus Leguminoceae
Anchoan dilao Cassia spectabilis Leguminoceae
Datilis Mutingia calabura Tiliaceae
African tulip Spathodea campanulata Bigonia
Golden shower Cassia fistula Caesalpinaceae
Banaba Lagerstoemia speciosa Lythraceae
Raintree Samanea saman Leguminoceae
Ilang-ilang Canaga odorata Anonaceae
Akleng parang Albizzia procera Mimosaceae
Duhat Syzygium cumingi Myrtaceae
Bignay Antidesma bunius Euphobiaceae
Kakawate Gliricidia sepium Leguminoceae
Kamachile Pethecellobium dulce Mimosaceae
Kapok Cieba pentandra Bombaceae
Mahogany Swietenia macrophylla Meliaceae
Japanese acacia Acacia auriculiformis Mimosaceae
Mangium A. mangium Mimosaceae
Kalantas Toona kalantas Mimosaceae
Talisay Terminalia catapa Meliaceae
Anabiong Trama orientalis Ulmaceae
Ipil-ipil Leucaena luecocephala Mimosaceae
Dap-dap Erythrina orientalis Leguminosae
Molave Vitex parviflora Verbenaceae


D. Preparation of the colonies for honeyflow
At least two (2) chamber per hive are prepared for honeyflow. The queen must be prolific and strong to withstand the need of the colony. In areas. With longer nectar flow duration, brood support is necessary to utilize to the maximum nectar before it will be mated.

E. Pests, diseases, predators and other honeybee enemies
1. Mites

The parasitic beemites, V. jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps clarae are the most serious pest of bees, especially A. mellifera. If the colonies are not properly managed, all the bees will be wiped out. The most commnly used acaracides are Folbes (chlorobenzilate), smoking paper (Tetradifon) and lately Apistan (Fluvalinate).

Farmers utilize botanicals like “alagaw” (Premna odorata), sometimes combined with lemon grass (Andropogon citrates) and Tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum). The leaves are placed inside the hive and replaced weekly during heave infestation. The percentage of control is only about 35 percent.

Some beekeepers reduce brood sizes and hives manipulation to break the cycle of the mites.

2. Wax moth

Wax moth (Galleria sp.) is a threat to A. cerana colonies. Hygienic practices like cleaning bottom boards, keeping unused combs and burning infested wax can minimize infestation.

3. Birds

Predatory birds, like swift (Chaetura dubia) and “pirik-pirik” (Merops sp.) can considerably reduce the population of forager bees. Based from personal observation, one swift could eat as much as 300 bees. The best control so far is placing a net trap in the apiary. It is also advised to disperse the colonies by 10-20 hives per site to be less noticeable by the birds. A beekeeper analyzed the guts of swift and found that honey bees are chief diet.

4. Wasps and other pests

The wasps (Vespa sp.) are common predators of A. mellifera. One wasp could take as much as 7 bees at one attack. Traps are installed in case of high wasp population.

In small apiaries, the wasps are destroyed mechanically by hitting them with slippers or piece of wood. They are also caught using insect nets.

Other minor pests are toads, ants, frogs, lizards and cockroaches.

5. Chalkbrood

Chalkbrood is caused by fungus (Ascosphaera apis) which affects the larvae-after infection. The larvae become “mummified” and are either white or gray to black in color. The protection from high levels of infection are the use of young productive queens, new comb, strengthening the colonies and good colony management.

6. Sac brood

A viral disease, sac brood has been observed from bees sampled from Cavite. No specific form of treatment is known for sac brood. Only a small proportion of the total amount of brood is normally affected. In sever infection, requeening is recommended or removal of infected brood.

7. Nosema

The parasite, Nosema apis is found in colonies from Cavite. This parasite is common during rainy season. Adult bees from infected colonies should be transferred on the clean combs. Partial replacement of combs may also be done.

8. American foul brood and European foul brood

Anerican Foul Brood (AFB) and European Foul Brood (EFB) are bacterial diseases which affects the bee colonies during spring or summer. These diseases are not common in the Philippines.

The EFB can be controlled and prevention can be done by feeding the colonies with oxyletracycline hydrochloride (e.g. Terramycin). While AFB infected colonies are burned.

9. Pesticidal poisoning

Pesticide poisoning had also been considered as threat to beekeeping. The pesticide poisoning of bees are caused by the application of insecticide to crops that are in bloom, bees coming in with insecticide residues, drift off, chemical sprays on flowering crops or apiaries and contaminated nectar and pollen. The symptoms of pesticide poisoning is exhibited by the large number of dead bees in front or near the hive entrance that result to sudden dwindling of adult bee population. The beekeepers should be aware of the location of the apiary and migration of bee colonies to avoid poisoning of bees during the bloom period of crops.

[mikey]

Harvesting and Marketing
There are two methods of harvesting honey. The first is selective harvesting by ripe frames and the other one is harvesting once about the end of honey flow. The type of harvesting practices are dictated by the type of plants.

The honey is extracted from the frame with the use of centrifugal honey extractor. The honey produced is transferred to sterilized bottles, sealed and labeled for market.

There is no problem in marketing, you can sell the honey in groceries, bakeries, meat processors (using honey), and pharmaceutical companies.

Post Harvest Management
Colony used for honey flow can either be maintained in a standard box or splitted into nucleus colonies depending on the next purpose of the colonies. Feeding should be done to maintain the moral of bees. Colony that were used for the honey flow should be fed to avoid the colony from collapsing.

Cost and Returns of Beekeeping
The costs and returns of beekeeping is presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Costs and Returns for Year 1 and Year 2.

1. Costs of Production (Year 1) - 3 colonies
a. Supplies     
Nucleus colonies with 3 frames and 1 young mated queen each 3 sets 5,700.00
Standard hive with frames 3 sets 4,500.00
Wax foundation 12 pcs. 540.00
Comb frames 6 pcs. 900.00
Medicine (Apistan, Terramycin, etc) Variable 1,028.00
Sub-Total: 13,028.00
b. Tools and Equipment     
Smoker 1 pc. 500.00
Bee veil 2 pcs. 150.00
Honey extractor (hired) 1 day 200.00
Sub-Total: 850.00
c. Harvest and Processing Cost     
Bottles and seal   617.00
Miscellaneous expenses (moslin cloth, sterilization)   730.00
Sub-Total: 1,347.00
d. Labor     
Accumulated labor cost in managing bee colonies out of leisure time   1,000.00
Year 1 Total Costs 16,225.00
     
2. Costs of Production (Year 2) - The colonies increased to 13 from 3 colonies in Year 1.
a. Supplies     
Standard Hive with frames 5 sets 6,000.00
Hive boxes with 5 frames 5 sets 3,000.00
Wax foundation 75 pcs. 3,375.00
Sugar 141 kgs. 3,015.00
Polyethylene bags 600 pcs. 60.00
Queens (additional) 10 pcs. 3,500.00
Medicine (Apistan, Terramycin) Variable 638.75
Containers (jug, bottles and seal) Variable 878.75
Misc. Expenses (cellophane, sprayer, gasoline, sterilization)   638.00
Sub-Total: 21,105.50
b. Tools     
Hive Tool 1 pc. 100.00
Extractor (hired) 1 day 300.00
Sub-Total 400.00
c. Labor     
Accumulated labor cost in managing the colonies   2,500.00
Year 2 Total Costs 24,005.50
     
3. Returns of Honeybee Colonies
a. First Year (3 colonies)
Honey (69 kg@P150/kg)   10,400.00
Increase in brood for 27 frames (@P750/frame)   20,250.00
Value of original colony   5,700.00
Year 1 Total Returns 36,350.00
b. Second Year (13 colonies)
Honey harvest 105 kg 15,750.00
Increase in number of colony at P4,500/10 frames colony and P2,250 per 5 frames   33,750.00
Year 2 Total Returns 63,020.00

Costs and Returns Summary
Year Production Cost (P) Total Return of Produce (P) Net Income (P)

Definition of Terms
Apiary - The location of a number of bee colonies.

Apiculture - The science which deal with the study of bees and beekeeping.

Apis - The genus to which honeybees belong.

Bee - Any insect belonging to the super family Apodea. There are well over 2,000 species of bees; the most familiar are honeybees and bumble bees. An important bee characteristic is an ability to collect pollen.

Bee space - The space where honeybees walk and work. ie. the space between two combs or between a comb and the wall of the hive.

Beeswax - Wax produced by honeybees (secreted by special glands on the underside of the bee) and used to build comb.

Brood - All stages of immature honeybees; eggs, larvae and pupae.

Cell - A single hexagonal wax compartment, the basic unit of comb. Each honeybee develops within a single cell, and honey and pollen are stored within cells.

Colony - Honeybees are social insects: They cannot live individually, only together as part of a colony. Each colony of honeybees contains one queen bee who is the female parent of the colony, a few hundred drone bees and thousands of worker bees.

Comb - The wax structure made of hexagonal cells in which honeybees rear young and store food.

Cross-pollination - The transfer of pollen between flowers of different plants of the same species. Plants that are not self-fertile must be cross-pollinated before they can develop seeds or fruit.

Drone - A male honeybee. Drones undertake no hive work: their sole function is to fertilize the queen.

Extractor - The honey extractor is a centrifugal machine in which honey is spun out of cells within comb.

Foundation - A thin sheet of beeswax printed with a hexagonal pattern. A sheet of foundation is placed in each wood frame and this serves as a base upon which honeybees build their comb. Intermediate technology beekeeping often tries to avoid the costly system of using wax foundation.

[mikey]

The Bee Colony
In order to become a successful beekeeper, it is important to know your bee colony, their behavior and needs.

The bee colony is composed of the queen, the drones and the workers. A strong colony of Apis mellifera of 14 frames could have a population of 50,000 workers, a queen, a few drones, 6,000 eggs, 10,000 larvae and 20,000 pupa. The queen is the female parent of the colony. Her role is only to lay eggs in the colony. A queen lays 1,000 to 1,500 eggs a day. Pheromones produced by the queen is responsible for the coherence of the colony. The drones are the male bees responsible for mating. Drones are larger and stouter than queens or workers. Worker bees are the smallest and the most numerous members of the honeybee colony. The are underdeveloped females with small ovaries and are not capable of producing eggs under normal conditions. The workers are responsible in feeding newly hatched larvae with royal jelly. Worker bees collect pollen nectar, propolis and water and bring them to the hive. Some worker bees remain to guard, clean and build wax combs. These also include the nurse bees that feed the young and queen, and regulate the temperature of the hive.

The bees need wax, nectar, water, flowers, trees and flower buds in order to live. They build a wax comb to store honey and pollen and responsible for egg deposition. Nectar is liquid, sugary substance produced by flowers and is the raw material from which honey is made. Bees also need water. It is added to the honey and serve to cool the hive during hot weather. Bees need flowers from which they collect pollen. Bees also need trees and flower buds to make propolis which they use to seal cracks in the hive and repair combs.

When to Start a Colony
An initial amount of P5,000.00 is required as working capital. The best time to start is during summer. Flowers are in bloom for sufficient source of nectar and pollen. Procure bee colony from reliable source. Usually, a package colony is a three-frame colony. Be sure to check on the following: all stages of broods (egg, larva and pupa) should be present; a young, good laying queen; pollen and nectar. They should be free from mites and diseases.

An Ideal Bee Farm
An apiary or beef farm is a place where the bee colonies are located/placed. Bee colonies can be placed anywhere in forest areas, under the canopy of trees, in agricultural areas, or even in urban areas provided the following criteria are met:

1. It should be located near an area with abundant nectar or pollen-producing plants. The host plants must be within the 3-8 kilometer radius of the apiary, depending on the slope of the area.
2. It should be near the source of clean water. The bees need water to dilute honey and regulate the temperature inside the bee hive.
3. It should have enough windbreaks especially during typhoon seasons.
4. It should be far away from areas with high pesticidal/insecticidal spray or usage.

During the summer months, the colonies must be placed in shaded areas. During cold months, the colonies should be partially exposed to sunlight.

Beekeeping Apparatus and Facilities
1. Bee veil - This is used to protect the neck and face from bee sting. A veil is made from any wide brim and hat and a piece of mosquito net, moslen cloth and screen.

2. Smoker - This is a metal can (often bellows attached) which is used to generate smoke for subduing honeybees. Materials like wood shavings, cow dung or dry leaves are lighted nearest the mouthpiece so that smoke is filtered through the unburned fuel.

3. Gloves - This is used to protect hands from bee sting. Gloves used in beekeeping are usually of the "worker type," often made of soft leather and canvass-type cloth. Sleeves are sawn to the gloves top to protect the beekeepers from bee sting. The sleeve can be tightened to the arms by the use of a string or elastic bands.

4. Hive tool - This tool is used to help move apart the hive frames inside the bee colony. It can be purchased from bee equipment company or made by a beekeeper from a metal, which is eight to ten inches long. The sharp edge is used for scraping wax and propolis inside the hive.

5. Bee brush - A brush or whisk broom used for removing bees from comb.

6. Bee hive - A container provided for honeybees to nest in. The standard bee hive can be obtained from factory specializing beekeeping equipment. However, a beekeeper can also make a hive using the standard size.

7. Frames with foundation - A frame with a foundation sheet is embedded to the hive, where honey comb is built-up for honey storage and bee multiplication.

8. Extractor - A cylindrical drum with at least 2 frame containers inside into which a handle is attached and driven manually to create centrifugal force which spills out the honey from the encapped honey comb.


Colony/Hive Management
A. Inspection the colonies
Inspect your colonies weekly or every 2 weeks. Inspection is done to check the presence or absence of pests and diseases. Check if there is enough food. Determine when to add wax foundation, and assess the queen's performance. The following are tips when inspecting colonies:

1. Use bee veil to avoid sting.
2. Do not stand in front of the hive, the foraging bees will be blocked.
3. Remove the outside cover gently. You may not use a smoker when bees seem to be gentle. When smoking is necessary, gently smoke the entrance of the hive.
4. Lift the upper cover gently and puff another smoke.
5. Remove one frame, inspect both sides. Examine the rest of the frames and return to their original position.

B. Brood rearing
This refers to increasing bee population needed for increased honeyflow.

1. Supplemental feeding - Bees will store their honey and pollen during summertime in preparation for rainy season. Since the stored honey have been harvested, the supply left in the brood area is not sufficient to sustain bees during rainy season. Therefore, feeding using sugar substitute is necessary during the rainy season. The syrup is made of sugar with the following concentrations:

60% sugar + 40% water - comb building
40% sugar + 60% water - maintenance
50% sugar + 50% water - brood rearing
2 part sugar + 1 part water - brood rearing

Types of feeder

a. Division board feeder - The sugar syrup is poured into the provision board and at the same time the feeder box. This type of feeder needs floaters.

b. Bottle feeder - Mix a sugar syrup in a clean bottle with small holes on the cover and place it upside down position in a bottom board.

c. Polyethylene bag feeder - The sugar is placed in a plastic bag and pinch with a hole and placed on top of the frames/hive.

Tips in feeding

a. Never feed when it is raining.
b. Reduce the entrance of the bee hives.
c. Take great care not to spill sugar syrup in the apiary, this will cause robbing.
d. See to it that feeders are not accessible from outside.

2. Addition of empty comb - To increase population, the space for the queen to lay her eggs must not be restricted. However, if the space is more what is needed, this must be avoided. The addition of empty comb must have proper timing.

3. Brood support - A colony or hive with few worker bees need support of either sealed or brood bees to maintain the moral of both worker and queen bees. Queen will lay eggs when few bees are available to take care of what she laid and clean the cell for her to lay eggs. Brood support can be from other colony of the same strain and known to have been free from diseases.


C. Bee foraging areas
The bees forage are nectar, pollen, propolis and water.

The locations where the honeybees go and collect nectar, pollen and propolis are called bee foraging/pasture areas. These areas should contain diverse species of vegetation such as forest and fruit trees, shrubs, grasses and weeds, herbs and other agricultural crops that provide benefit to honeybees, man and environment.

Bees can fly 14 kms to a food source when no intervening forage is available. However, the colonies lost weight. When colonies are located 0.75 to 1 km from the food source, they show gains as large as the colonies located at the source provided the weather is favorable for the bee flight. The forest tree species that serve as sources of food for the bees in the Cordillera are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. List of nectar and pollen producing forest trees in the Cordilleras.

Common Name  Scientific Name Family
Kitaldag  L. oligocarpus  Fagaceae
Lipakon L. lipacon Fagaceae
Malalipakon L. bicoloratus Fagaceae
Kilog L. luzonensis Fagaceae
Pangnan bundok L. philippinensis Fagaceae
Olayan L. llanosii Fagaceae
Katiluk L. jordanae Fagaceae
Manaring L. soleriana Fagaceae
Dusong Vaccinum barandanum Iricaceae
Azallea Rhodondendron sp. Iricaceae
Maninik Palaguium tenuipetiolatum Sapotaceae
Dequai Saurauia bontocensis Antinadiceae
Calliandra Calliandra calothyrsus Mimosacea
Whipping willow C. viminalis Myrtaceae
Murray red gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis Myrtaceae
Forest red gum E. teriticornis Myrtaceae
Swamp mahogany E. robusta Myrtaceae
Mulberry Morus alba Moraceae
Yemane Gemilina arborea Verbenaceae
Narra Pterocarpus indicus Leguminoceae
Anchoan dilao Cassia spectabilis Leguminoceae
Datilis Mutingia calabura Tiliaceae
African tulip Spathodea campanulata Bigonia
Golden shower Cassia fistula Caesalpinaceae
Banaba Lagerstoemia speciosa Lythraceae
Raintree Samanea saman Leguminoceae
Ilang-ilang Canaga odorata Anonaceae
Akleng parang Albizzia procera Mimosaceae
Duhat Syzygium cumingi Myrtaceae
Bignay Antidesma bunius Euphobiaceae
Kakawate Gliricidia sepium Leguminoceae
Kamachile Pethecellobium dulce Mimosaceae
Kapok Cieba pentandra Bombaceae
Mahogany Swietenia macrophylla Meliaceae
Japanese acacia Acacia auriculiformis Mimosaceae
Mangium A. mangium Mimosaceae
Kalantas Toona kalantas Mimosaceae
Talisay Terminalia catapa Meliaceae
Anabiong Trama orientalis Ulmaceae
Ipil-ipil Leucaena luecocephala Mimosaceae
Dap-dap Erythrina orientalis Leguminosae
Molave Vitex parviflora Verbenaceae


D. Preparation of the colonies for honeyflow
At least two (2) chamber per hive are prepared for honeyflow. The queen must be prolific and strong to withstand the need of the colony. In areas. With longer nectar flow duration, brood support is necessary to utilize to the maximum nectar before it will be mated.

E. Pests, diseases, predators and other honeybee enemies
1. Mites

The parasitic beemites, V. jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps clarae are the most serious pest of bees, especially A. mellifera. If the colonies are not properly managed, all the bees will be wiped out. The most commnly used acaracides are Folbes (chlorobenzilate), smoking paper (Tetradifon) and lately Apistan (Fluvalinate).

Farmers utilize botanicals like "alagaw" (Premna odorata), sometimes combined with lemon grass (Andropogon citrates) and Tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum). The leaves are placed inside the hive and replaced weekly during heave infestation. The percentage of control is only about 35 percent.

Some beekeepers reduce brood sizes and hives manipulation to break the cycle of the mites.

2. Wax moth

Wax moth (Galleria sp.) is a threat to A. cerana colonies. Hygienic practices like cleaning bottom boards, keeping unused combs and burning infested wax can minimize infestation.

3. Birds

Predatory birds, like swift (Chaetura dubia) and "pirik-pirik" (Merops sp.) can considerably reduce the population of forager bees. Based from personal observation, one swift could eat as much as 300 bees. The best control so far is placing a net trap in the apiary. It is also advised to disperse the colonies by 10-20 hives per site to be less noticeable by the birds. A beekeeper analyzed the guts of swift and found that honey bees are chief diet.

4. Wasps and other pests

The wasps (Vespa sp.) are common predators of A. mellifera. One wasp could take as much as 7 bees at one attack. Traps are installed in case of high wasp population.

In small apiaries, the wasps are destroyed mechanically by hitting them with slippers or piece of wood. They are also caught using insect nets.

Other minor pests are toads, ants, frogs, lizards and cockroaches.

5. Chalkbrood

Chalkbrood is caused by fungus (Ascosphaera apis) which affects the larvae-after infection. The larvae become "mummified" and are either white or gray to black in color. The protection from high levels of infection are the use of young productive queens, new comb, strengthening the colonies and good colony management.

6. Sac brood

A viral disease, sac brood has been observed from bees sampled from Cavite. No specific form of treatment is known for sac brood. Only a small proportion of the total amount of brood is normally affected. In sever infection, requeening is recommended or removal of infected brood.

7. Nosema

The parasite, Nosema apis is found in colonies from Cavite. This parasite is common during rainy season. Adult bees from infected colonies should be transferred on the clean combs. Partial replacement of combs may also be done.

8. American foul brood and European foul brood

Anerican Foul Brood (AFB) and European Foul Brood (EFB) are bacterial diseases which affects the bee colonies during spring or summer. These diseases are not common in the Philippines.

The EFB can be controlled and prevention can be done by feeding the colonies with oxyletracycline hydrochloride (e.g. Terramycin). While AFB infected colonies are burned.

9. Pesticidal poisoning

Pesticide poisoning had also been considered as threat to beekeeping. The pesticide poisoning of bees are caused by the application of insecticide to crops that are in bloom, bees coming in with insecticide residues, drift off, chemical sprays on flowering crops or apiaries and contaminated nectar and pollen. The symptoms of pesticide poisoning is exhibited by the large number of dead bees in front or near the hive entrance that result to sudden dwindling of adult bee population. The beekeepers should be aware of the location of the apiary and migration of bee colonies to avoid poisoning of bees during the bloom period of crops.

[mikey]

Harvesting and Marketing
There are two methods of harvesting honey. The first is selective harvesting by ripe frames and the other one is harvesting once about the end of honey flow. The type of harvesting practices are dictated by the type of plants.

The honey is extracted from the frame with the use of centrifugal honey extractor. The honey produced is transferred to sterilized bottles, sealed and labeled for market.

There is no problem in marketing, you can sell the honey in groceries, bakeries, meat processors (using honey), and pharmaceutical companies.


Post Harvest Management
Colony used for honey flow can either be maintained in a standard box or splitted into nucleus colonies depending on the next purpose of the colonies. Feeding should be done to maintain the moral of bees. Colony that were used for the honey flow should be fed to avoid the colony from collapsing.


Cost and Returns of Beekeeping
The costs and returns of beekeeping is presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Costs and Returns for Year 1 and Year 2.

1. Costs of Production (Year 1) - 3 colonies
Item Quantity Cost (Pesos)
a. Supplies     
Nucleus colonies with 3 frames and 1 young mated queen each 3 sets 5,700.00
Standard hive with frames 3 sets 4,500.00
Wax foundation 12 pcs. 540.00
Comb frames 6 pcs. 900.00
Medicine (Apistan, Terramycin, etc) Variable 1,028.00
Sub-Total: 13,028.00
b. Tools and Equipment     
Smoker 1 pc. 500.00
Bee veil 2 pcs. 150.00
Honey extractor (hired) 1 day 200.00
Sub-Total: 850.00
c. Harvest and Processing Cost     
Bottles and seal   617.00
Miscellaneous expenses (moslin cloth, sterilization)   730.00
Sub-Total: 1,347.00
d. Labor     
Accumulated labor cost in managing bee colonies out of leisure time   1,000.00
Year 1 Total Costs 16,225.00
     
2. Costs of Production (Year 2) - The colonies increased to 13 from 3 colonies in Year 1.
Item Quantity Cost (Pesos)
a. Supplies     
Standard Hive with frames  5 sets 6,000.00
Hive boxes with 5 frames 5 sets 3,000.00
Wax foundation 75 pcs. 3,375.00
Sugar 141 kgs. 3,015.00
Polyethylene bags 600 pcs. 60.00
Queens (additional) 10 pcs. 3,500.00
Medicine (Apistan, Terramycin) Variable 638.75
Containers (jug, bottles and seal) Variable 878.75
Misc. Expenses (cellophane, sprayer, gasoline, sterilization)   638.00
Sub-Total: 21,105.50
b. Tools     
Hive Tool 1 pc. 100.00
Extractor (hired) 1 day 300.00
Sub-Total 400.00
c. Labor     
Accumulated labor cost in managing the colonies   2,500.00
Year 2 Total Costs 24,005.50
     
3. Returns of Honeybee Colonies
a. First Year (3 colonies)
Honey (69 kg@P150/kg)   10,400.00
Increase in brood for 27 frames (@P750/frame)   20,250.00
Value of original colony   5,700.00
Year 1 Total Returns 36,350.00
b. Second Year (13 colonies)
Honey harvest 105 kg 15,750.00
Increase in number of colony at P4,500/10 frames colony and P2,250 per 5 frames    33,750.00
Year 2 Total Returns 63,020.00

 

Costs and Returns Summary
Year Production Cost (P) Total Return of Produce (P) Net Income (P)
1st 16,225.00 36,350.00 20,125.00
2nd 24,005.50 63,030.00 39,014.50

 

Definition of Terms
Apiary - The location of a number of bee colonies.

Apiculture - The science which deal with the study of bees and beekeeping.

Apis - The genus to which honeybees belong.

Bee - Any insect belonging to the super family Apodea. There are well over 2,000 species of bees; the most familiar are honeybees and bumble bees. An important bee characteristic is an ability to collect pollen.

Bee space - The space where honeybees walk and work. ie. the space between two combs or between a comb and the wall of the hive.

Beeswax - Wax produced by honeybees (secreted by special glands on the underside of the bee) and used to build comb.

Brood - All stages of immature honeybees; eggs, larvae and pupae.

Cell - A single hexagonal wax compartment, the basic unit of comb. Each honeybee develops within a single cell, and honey and pollen are stored within cells.

Colony - Honeybees are social insects: They cannot live individually, only together as part of a colony. Each colony of honeybees contains one queen bee who is the female parent of the colony, a few hundred drone bees and thousands of worker bees.

Comb - The wax structure made of hexagonal cells in which honeybees rear young and store food.

Cross-pollination - The transfer of pollen between flowers of different plants of the same species. Plants that are not self-fertile must be cross-pollinated before they can develop seeds or fruit.

Drone - A male honeybee. Drones undertake no hive work: their sole function is to fertilize the queen.

Extractor - The honey extractor is a centrifugal machine in which honey is spun out of cells within comb.

Foundation - A thin sheet of beeswax printed with a hexagonal pattern. A sheet of foundation is placed in each wood frame and this serves as a base upon which honeybees build their comb. Intermediate technology beekeeping often tries to avoid the costly system of using wax foundation.


References
Attenga, G.M. 1995. Honey Hunters and Beekeepers. A Study of Traditional Beekeeping in Babati District. Tansania Sweddish University of Agricultural Sciences. International Rural Development Center.

Cervancia, C.R. 1995. Beekeeping for Beginners: The Biology and Behavior. Lecture on Seminar-Orientation on Beekeeping with Common European Honeybee for Northern Luzon (Unpublished).

Laquidan, R. 1995. Honeybee Products, By-products and its Potential in the Philippines. Lecture Seminar-Orientation on Beekeeping with Common European Honeybee for Northern Luzon (Unpublished).

Ramos, F. V. 1995. Implementing Guidelines for Operationalization of Social Reform Agenda Convergence Policy. Manila, Phil. 1994. The Social Reform Agenda. Republic of the Philippines.

Santos, A.S. The Beekeeping Module. A.S. Santos Apiary and Bee Supply. Marikina, M.M. Philipppines.

Sito, A.P. 1995. Hive Management. Seminar-Orientation on Beekeeping with Common European Honeybee for Northern Luzon (Unpublished).

Sito, A.P. et al. 1995. La Union Technoguide on Beekeeping. ATDC-DMMSU, P.A.

Svensson, B. 1991. Bees and Trees. Sweddish University of Agricultural Sciences. International Rural Development Center. pp. 123.

Tamayo, R.C. 1990. Lecture Notes, Training on Apiculture (Beekeeping) in the Highlands. (Unpublished).

Source: DENR-CAR, 1997. Technology Tra

[jonie_davao]

Mikey,

Good day!!! Sana, you won't mind. May I know your contacts (if any) of beekeepers here in Davao City? or Mindanao? Or any advises lang po oks na...
I am very interested to start this business. STARTER SETS ba yun? Magkano po ba at saan?

JONIE VILLEJO
09108122288

[nemo]

Try this email: [royunde@yahoo.com]
Just remove the bracket.
            
I also downloaded an article about bee keeping, i will send it to you.

[mikey]

Basic Beekeeping
By Pinoy Farmer | June 10, 2008





There are many reasons why it is profitable to keep bees:

Honeybees make honey
Honey can be used in baking, cooking, to sweeten coffee or as a spread on bread.
Mead (an alcoholic drink) and honey beer are made from honey.
Honey is used in some medicines such as cough mixtures.
Wax from the honeycombs is used in candles and polish.
Honeybees carry pollen (powder formed by flowers) from one plant to another. The pollen is needed so that the flowers can turn into fruit.

The Hive

The beehive is the home of bees. Bees can be kept in ordinary hives or top-bar beehives.

In an ordinary beehive there are spaces between the bars. An ordinary (Langstroth) hive
is more expensive to make or buy and consists of many different parts. A top-bar beehive is much cheaper to build and maintain. In a top-bar beehive there are no spaces and
the beekeeper can remove one or two top-bars to inspect the hive or to take out the honey.

How to make a top-bar beehive

Use a wooden or cardboard box.
Make a number of small openings near the bottom on the side of the box so that the bees can go into the box.
Make enough bars (top-bars or roof-bars) from wood or cardboard to put on top of the box.
Each top-bar must be 32 mm (about 2 fingers) wide. This is very important. In the nests which bees build in nature the middle of one comb is 32 mm from the middle of the one next to it.
Melt wax and pour a thin line of wax along the middle of each top-bar. This must be done on the side which will be inside the box. The bees will then start building their combs on the wax line and the combs will look neat.
Now put the bars next to each other on top of the box.
Put the hive a safe distance away from people or animals on a stand or on bricks or hang it from a tree.
How to inspect beehives

You will sometimes want to look into the hive to see if the combs are full yet or if everything is all right.

Remove 2 or 3 top-bars at one end of the hive.
These bars will usually not have bees or combs on them.
The opening will be wide enough so that you can lift the other top-bars to inspect the combs without damaging them.
Be sure to keep the bars level all the time so that the combs hang down and do not break off.
Be careful and work slowly so that you do not get stung too often. The bees will come back and start working again soon.
You will be stung sometimes, but if you work carefully, it will not happen often.
Puff a little bit of smoke into the opening to drive away the bees in the gap.
You can put a net over your head and wear a hat for protection.
You can put on gloves to protect your hands against stings.
Wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms and legs.
How to take out the honey

It is easy to take honey from a top-bar beehive.

Take a top-bar with a full (capped) comb from the hive.
Hold the top-bar over a clean bucket and twist the comb.
The comb will break off into the bucket.
Close the bucket immediately.
Put the top-bar back onto the hive.
In the same way take out all the other full (capped) combs.
What to do with the combs and the honey

At home put the undamaged combs aside to sell them later.
Keep the damaged combs for your own use.
If there is pollen in the combs you can eat it too as it is healthy and tastes nice.
Chop up old beecombs. Separate the honey from the combs by filtering the honey through a clean, coarse cloth.
Do not throw away the wax. You can use it to make candles; sell it to people who make candles; or sell it to people who repair shoes, women who make clothes and furniture makers.
Mead

You can also use the honey to make an alcoholic drink called mead.

Recipe for mead
You will need the following:

1 litre (4 cups) honey
2,3 litres (5 cups) water
½ teaspoon ammonium phosphate
½ teaspoon urea
½ teaspoon citric or tartaric acid
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Put all of these in a glass bottle which has a fermentation valve. The drink will be ready in 6 to 8 months.

How to get the wax

In order to use or sell the wax you must first separate the wax and the honey. For this you can make your own cheap wax separator.

Take 2 boxes, one a little smaller than the other.
Crumple newspapers or any other paper and put them in the bigger box.
Put the smaller box inside the bigger box so that the newspapers are under and around the smaller box.
Put a plastic tub in the small box.
Pour some water into the btub.
Put a paper towel over the tub and tie it with string to the tub so that it stays in position.
Put the old, chopped-up combs on the paper towel.
Put a plate of glass or perspex on the big box.
Put the big box with everything in it in a sunny spot.
The sun will heat the glass or perspex and the combs will melt.
The wax will filter through the paper towel and drip into the water where it will cool down and set.
source : http://www.nda.agric.za