UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CROP SCIENCE AND BEEKEEPING TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATIVE HIVE STOCKING STRATEGIES

Silvanus Jonas Shirima

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 APIARY MANAGEMENT AT TANZANIA FORESTRY SERVICES IN SAME TFS IN
KILIMANJARO

By

Shedrack Isaya Kiponda

A project report submitted in (partial) fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of
Science in Beekeeping Science and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam

NOVEMBER 2024.

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 CERTIFICATION

The undersigned certify that they have read and hereby recommend for acceptance by the
University of Dar es Salaam a practical training report entitled Apiary management at Tanzania
Forestry agency in Same in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of
Science in Beekeeping Science and Technology of the University of Dar es Salaam.

………………………………….

Prof/Dr/Mr.

(supervisor)

Date; ……………………………

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 DECLARATION AND COPYRIGHT

I, Kiponda Shedrack Isaya, declare that this report is my own original work and that is has not
been presented and will not be present to any other university for a similar or any other degree
award.

Signature…………………………….

This report is copyright material protected under the Berne convection, the copyright Act of
1999 and other international and national enactment, in that behalf on intellectual property. It
may not be produced by any means in full or in part except for short extracts in fair dealing, for
research or private study, critical scholarly review or discourse with an acknowledgement,
without the written permission of the department of Crop Science and Beekeeping Technology
on behalf of both the candidate and the university of Dar es Salaam.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

I extended my deep appreciation and sincere thanks to invaluable contributions of many individuals and
organizations for the completion of my report,I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest
gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this journey.

First and foremost, I extended my heartfelt thanks to the Supervisor Madam Dorothy Narwango, whose
guidance, insight and encouragement were instrumental in shaping this report.Their expertise and
dedication were invaluable at every stage, and their feedback challenged me to think critically and
broaden my understanding.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to the all Same TFS leaders by starting with Dr. Yusuph Kajia for leading
and guiding me during the practical training and also Madam Rachel Kalimbo who is the Beekeeping
officer and all other staff members for their contributions.

Finally, I would like to express my love and appreciation to my family, friends and my colleageus , who
supported me unconditionally throughout this journey. Their patience, encouragement, and belief in my
capabilities gave me the strength to persevere.

This report stands as a testament not only to my efforts but also to the collective contributions of
everyone mentioned here.For that, I am sincerely grateful.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

TFS- Tanzania Forest Services Agency.

PT- Practical Training.

TTBH- Tanzania Top Bar Hive.

KTBH-Kenyan Top Bar Hive.

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ABSTRACT

In the practical training at Same there are different activities performed in all weeks of practical
training according to the time table made, this activity includes tree nursery (pruning, rooting,
weeding, and plant watering), beeswax production, hive inspection, honey extraction, baiting,
honey harvesting, honey processing, honey quality assessment, honey packaging, honey labelling
and storing of the honey. All of these activities performed by using different tools and
equipments such as beesmoker, bee veil, matchbox, rope, ladder, bee brush, hive tools, machete,
serving spoon, buckets, cooking pan, water, notebook and pencil, also there are some of tools
such as honey extractor machine used for honey processing. Generally this practices is the core
practice in beekeeping where by the beekeeper has to be very careful for the good results of the
beekeeping activity.

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0.INTRODUCTION.

1.1;General introduction.

Tanzania forest service agency(TFS) is a government excutive agency whose establishment was
supported by national forest and beekeeping policies.Its function is to provide legal framework for the
management of forest and other resources.Apart from that there are some of the functions includes
establishment and managing of national natural resources and bee reserves.TFS same is locaed at
Kilimanjaro region where there a lot of forest buh we only dealing with Chome forest.There are about
127 beehives found in the apiary at chome forest,some of them are occupied by bees almost
43,unoccupied about 50 and some of the new beehives of about 34 which makes up a total of 127
beehives in apiary.There are about 3 beekeeping officers dealing with managing the apiaries found in that
locality but also providing the advices to some of the villagers dealing with beekeeping activity as their
main or minor source of income.There are different species of plants found in same but mostly observed
are Acacia mellifera known by a local name Mnoa,Acacia nilotica known by a local name
Mzameli,Azadirachta indica known as Mwarobaini(Swahili) and Trichilia emetica known as Mkoromaji
Leucaena leococephala and Cassia siamea, all of this species are well said to have nutritious value to the
honey production.Also we learnt about some of tree secies included Acacia tortilis(Mghaa),Balanites
aegyptiaca(Mkonge ), Commiphora Africana(Msusu ),Commiphora schimperi(Msusu ),Grewia
tembensis(Mkokoro).The Kilimanjaro village forestry project (KVFP) has introduced more than 40
species in Mkonga site inorder to select suitable species,especially drought resistant ones.

1.2 Introduction to apiary

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An apiary is an area where the beehives(house) are kept. Apiary comes from the two latin words
which are apis means for the bees and arium means the place. So simply an apiary refers a
collectively a place for the bees. By other word can be stated as a bee yard (Rutter, 2019). The
purposes of establishing apiaries include honey production, pollination services and
environmental activism. A bee hive is a structure that houses a colony of bees where by bees
build small wax cells within them where larvae are raised, pollen and honey is stored (Smith,
2023). There are traditional and modern hives. Traditional hives include the log hives and bark
hives while the modern ones include the top bar hives (KTBH and TTBH).

Figure 1.A sited log hive

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1.2.1 Types of apiaries

In Tanzania there are various types of apiaries which are established by the beekeepers for
beekeeping practices. The different types of apiaries are established by the beekeepers because of
some factors like the type of hives owned, the location where the apiary has to be established,
their beekeeping goals, their budget, their preferences and health and safety. These factors have
led to establishment of five commonly known types of apiaries. The types include breast-height
or stand apiary, bee cage, bee house, tree apiary and natural nest. Majority of beekeepers use the
tree apiary and stand apiary mostly while learning institutions and beekeeping institutions have
the bee cages and bee house apiaries.

Figure 2; Breast height apiary.

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Figure 3; Tree apiary.

1.3 Introduction to apiary management

This refers to those activities involving some of processes and ways of making the apiary
suitable and proper for the beekeeping activities including hive inspection and other activities.
Proper apiary management can lead to increase in production of bee products, safe beekeeping,
healthy honeybee colony, safe and healthy bee products and reduced stress in hives (Simmonds,
2023).

1.3.1 Introduction to apiary establishment

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Apiary establishment refers to the process of setting up a location for beekeeping. It includes
choosing of a suitable place where beehives can be placed without sort of threats to people’s
lives and honeybee’s life. Apiary establishment included:

1.3.1.1The proximity of human activities

During the establishment of an apiary the place to establish needed to be far from the homested
and other activities of the people so as to avoid sting to the people nearby the apiary. So this
must be well considered before establishment of an apiary.

1.3.1.2 Presence of pests and use of pesticides

Apiaries should be situated in places which are free from attacks of honey bee pests such as ants,
moth, lizards, varroa mites and spiders. And the place far away from the different pesticide such
as used in farming that can affect the health of the colonies and the other bee products produced
in the apiary.

1.3.1.3 Presence of bee foraging plants.

By other name it can be said that there should be a bee fodder plants, the kinds of plant species
where by the bees tend to visit so as to collect the pollen and nectar from it for the production of
different bee products and other products such as honey, pollen and beeswax.They are very
important and highly required for the bees to perform their activities in a good and usual way.

1.3.1.4 Availability of water sources

Apiary should be located in a place where water is available for the honeybees since water is
essential for temperature regulation within the hive by bees and brood raising.

1.3.1.5 Accessibility and topography

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Apiary should be established in a place which is accessible by various transportation means for
easy management as well as transportation of bee products and services such as migratory
beekeeping for pollination.

1.3.1.6 Shelter and shady areas

Apiary should be located in places which the hives are protected against strong wind which can
blow off the top cover and direct sunlight. Wind breaks should be present in areas where apiaries
are established so as to reduce wind speed and act as shades foe the hives. Those wind breaks
include some tally tree species that can reduce and prevent the direct effect of the wind to the
bees and the hives present.

1.3.1.7 Drainage system

It is recommended that an apiary should be established in an area where there is a well drainage
system so as to avoid washing away of hives and their stands by water and water logging which
causes hive stands rotting

1.3.1.8 Spacing

An apiary should be established in a place where there is enough area in which hives can be
arranged with enough spacing between them. This is very important because it makes the
management process easier as there will be enough space for working without disturbing other
hives and their bees inside.

1.4 Apiary cleanliness

Apiary cleanliness is the practice of maintaining a clean and hygienic environment around the
apiary. It is a crucial aspect as it maintains hive health, prevent diseases, control pest and
promote safe environment for a beekeeper.

1.5 Hive inspection

Hive inspection is the management practice which involve the process of systematically smoking
and removing each box until the bottom layer and then carefully inspecting the frames inside the

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boxes and noting what is seen before assembling the hive ( Arcuri, 2023). It involves observation
of food stores, signs of queen presence, brood patterns, presence of pests and diseases and
general colony health.

1.6 Honey harvesting

Honey harvesting is the process of collecting honey from beehives for consumption, sale and
other used. Honey is harvested during harvesting season where by the combs are full of honey
and capped with wax. After when the honey is harvested it is extracted and packed ready for
domestic uses and sales.

1.7 Honeybee feeding

This act is performed in the apiary when there is low or insufficient sources of the nectar where
by the beekeeper tend to feed the bees by using sugar syrup, pollen patties and other pollen
substitutes and water.

1.8 Hive labeling

This is a practice which is essential in apiary establishment as it involve the naming of hives
where they belong, where their sited and number of each hive. It is an important practice as it
facilitates easy inspection due to the labels

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 METHODOLOGY

During practical training at TFS Same different activities concerning apiary management were
performed on different apiaries. The activities which were done include choosing of apiary
location, hive siting and baiting, apiary cleanliness, hive inspection, rebaiting of non stocked
hives, honey harvesting, feeding and hive labeling. All these activities were done under specific
procedures and tools which made them to be performed successful.

2.1 Choosing of apiary location

In this activity different materials and procedures were used so as a good location for
establishing an apiary was selected.

Materials used:

Gps device: used to mark and remember the exact location, ideal for future reference.

Topographic maps: used to understand the landscape, elevation and accessibility of potential
sites.

Compass: used in determining the direction for proper hive orientation (usually south or
southeast).

Protective gear (Bee suit, Gloves, Veil): Essential for safe inspection and setup of the hives.

Machete: this tool was used to cut the shrubs which acted as obstacles during the selecting
process.

Notebook and camera: to document plant species, flowering seasons and site characteristics.

Procedures used:

During the process of selecting a place for establishing an apiary we visited the Chome forest,
where by machete was used to clear the way as the selection process continued inside the forest.
Suitable places were noted in the note books and it was made sure that the places have all the
criteria for establishing an apiary.

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2.2 Hive baiting

This activity was done right after apiary selection where by different procedures and tools were
used.

Materials used;

Fire woods: these were used as fuel for fire used for melting beeswax.

Match box: it was used for lighting the fire woods to make fire.

Cooking pan: it was used as a container for melting beeswax.

Beeswax: it was used as a baiting material for the hives.

Serving spoon: it was used for pouring beeswax into bar grooves.

New empty hives: these were baited with melted beeswax.

Procedures were;

The fire woods and match box were used to make fire, and the cooking pan with beeswax was
placed on top of the fire then left for some minutes to melt, after some minutes when the
beeswax had melted, the melted bees wax was poured into the top bar grooves with the help of
the serving spoon. The bar were left to dry while some of the melted beeswax was poured into
the hive top covers. After all the hive parts have dried the bar were returned and the hive was
closed properly ready for siting. The procedures were done in all the hives which were supposed
to be baited.

2.3 Hive siting

This activity was done right after the baited hives were closed. Different procedures and tools
were used so as the process could be successful

Materials used;

Rope: it was used for lifting hives during hive sitting.

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Banding wire: it was used to close the hives and in hanging the hive on the trees.

Ladder: it was used for aiding in tree climbing.

Procedures used;

After hive baiting, the hives were closed tightly by using the banding wire, a long rope was
crossed around the hive horizontally so as to close the hive, after then the hive was taken up the
tree by using the long rope and a ladder tied up very perfectly considering the direction of the
entrance.

2.4. Cleanliness of the apiary

Following up the processes of maintainance of the apiary cleanliness of the hive were to be taken
into higher considerations, the following were materials and tools used during the cleaning
process;

Materials used

Slashers, these were cleanliness tools which were used to slash the grasses around the apiary.

Machete, these were used to prune tree crowns which can cause disturbance and invasion of
pests to the sited hives.

Mulch or gravel, used around hive stand to prevent weeds and improve drainage.Gloves and face
masks, for handling cleaning chemicals and scrubbing surfaces.

Procedures used

During cleanliness slashers were used to slash grasses around so as to terminate the bushes for
easy access to the various hives. After slashing tree crowns which were a disturbance and pest
carriers they were pruned by using machete, also all the unwanted grasses and tree parts were
collected leaving the apiary clean and safe for bees, while the process of cleaning was taking

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place different chemicals were used hence face masks were required but also mulch or gloves
were used to remove all the weeds around the apiary.

2.5 Inspection of the hive

This practice is necessary for the safety of honeybee colonies and it is done by using procedures
and specialized tools.

Materials used

Hive tools, these were used to open the hive bars.

Smoker, this was used to produce smoke that make honeybees less aggressive for easy
inspection.

Protective gears, these were worn by the beekeepers so as to protect them from bee stings.

Rope, this was used to aid the process of dropping the hives from the trees.

Ladder, this was used as an aid in climbing trees.

Bee brush, this was used to brush off the bees on their combs.

Procedures used

During this process the sited hives were dropped by the help of ladder for climbing the trees and
rope for dropping the hives. During the dropping of the hive smokers were used by beekeepers
with protective gears so as to calm the honeybees and reduce their aggressiveness,when the hive
were already dropped, smokers were used to produce the smoke in the entrance and the hive was
opened with care, During the opening of the hive smoking was done while the hive tools were
used to remove and squeeze the top bars within the hive. The top bars were removed one by one
carefully while the bees were brushed off by using gentle bee brush and the combs
compartmentalization was observed together with brood patterns in the combs having broods.
Also the signs of pests were observed and identified pests were removed. After the observation
the bars with the combs were returned carefully and the hive was closed. The inspected hives
were then closed with the rope so as they can be hung on the trees again.

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2.6 Rebaiting of unoccupied hives

We noticed some of the beehives that did not occupied by the bees in the apiary. Then the baiting
process follows by using the beewwax as a baiting material so that the beehive can attract the bee
colonies for the production of honey and other related bee products.

Materials used

Beeswax, this was used as a baiting material to the unoccupied hives.

Fire woods, these were used to make fire for melting the solid beeswax.

Match box, this was used to light the firewood for producing fire.

Serving spoon, this was used to pour the melted beeswax into the top bar grooves and other hive
parts.

Procedures used

The unoccupied hives after inspection were cleaned and passed across the fire for sanitization.
While they were cooling the fire was set by using firewood and match box then the cooking pan
with beeswax was put on the fire and left to melt. After melting a serving spoon was taken and
used to pour the melted beeswax along the grooves of the top bars and inside the hive after that
the hives were closed and sited back to the trees.

2.7 Honey harvesting

This activity was done to the hives which contained ripen honey. Different procedures and tools
were used during the practice.

Materials used;

Hive tool: this was used to remove bars within the hives.

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Protective gears: these were worn by the beekeepers to protect themselves from bee stings.

White buckets: these were used to keep the combs containing honey.

A knife: this was used to cut the combs containing honey from their bar.

Smokers: these were used to produce smoke to make the bees calm.

Bee brush: this brush was used to brush the bees away from the honey combs.

Procedures used;

During this activity the hives which were in stand apiary were smoked and opened one by one.
Smoking was done carefully while the bars were removed by the help of hive tool. After when
the bars were removed the combs were brushed off the bees by using bee brush. Then the ripen
honey combs which were capped were cut by knife and kept into the bucket and smoked a bit
and the bucket was closed. After harvesting the hive was closed properly and smoked.

2.8 Hive labeling

This activity was done to the constructed hives(KTBH) by using specific tools and procedures.

Materials used;

Pencil: this was used to draw the hives before painting the labels.

Square meter: this was used as a ruler to make the words drawn by pencil straight.

Painting brush: this was used in painting the words or labels drawn by pencil.

Paint: this was used to draw the words or labels.

New hives: these were the ones which were labeled.

Procedures used;

The new hives were opened and turned upside down and then pencil and square meter were
taken and words were drawn on the hives. After using pencil in drawing the words the painting

20
brush was taken with some liquid paint on it and then the words drawn by the pencil were
redrawn. After proper redrawing the labels were left to dry and the hives were drawn ready to be
taken to the apiary for siting.

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CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESULTS

During the management of apiary different results were observed according to each management
practice that was performed.

3.1 Apiary establishment

The practice of selecting apiary location, baiting and siting of hives led to the introduction of
new apiary in Chome forest which had no apiary before. This act led to an increase in number of
stocked beehives around the Mkonga apiary, The type of apiary that was established was a tree
apiary.

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3.2 Apiary cleanliness

During the cleanliness of different apiaries different honeybee enemies were observed such as
lizard and ants along the hive stands. Also it was observed that some of the unpruned tree
branches have become the source of enemies such as ants to the hives they counteract with. The
ants pass through the tree branches to the hive whereby they act as enemies as they rob honey
from the hive.

3.3 Hive inspection

During hive inspection different bee enemies were identified within the hive and outside the
hives. Such enemies include beetles, wax moth, spiders, wasps and lizards. Apart from enemies
different brood patterns were observed in different hives where by some of the hive had solid
brood pattern while other hives had scattered brood pattern. In several combs within the hives
inspected there was ripen honey while in other hives there was unripe honey which is not capped
yet. All these results were noted in the notebooks so as they could be used in the future.

3.4 Rebaiting of hives

This activity was done in apiary which was not visited for a long time. The results which were
observed during this activity include the destroyed hives due to theft and empty hives which
were destroyed by termites and other bee enemies.

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Figure 6: Hive destroyed by termites. Figure 7: Hive destroyed by theft.

3.5 Honey harvesting

During this activity six out of eight hives in Mkonga apiary were found to have honey which was
harvested. The harvested honey was eventually extracted the next day and packed ready for
sales.

Figure 8: Honey obtained during harvesting. Figure 9;Honey straining.

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CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS

4.1 Apiary establishment

The key points to consider during apiary establishment are very important for the bees
development which includes site selection and environmental factors, resource accessibility,
challenges in establishment, sustainability and long term viability plays a role in ensuring a
stable food source for the bees and contribute positively to the overall environment.

4.2 Hive inspection

During that activity the observed unoccupied hives can be a results of baiting material
used,climatic condition and also the improper sitation of the hives. Also we observed some of the
bee enemies that directly affect the existence of the bees in a certain hives and also the broken
hives and some hives lack some of the parts of it that made difficulty for the bees to settle in the
hive.

4.3 Rebaiting of unoccupied hives

The unoccupied hives are then baited again by considering the factors that may cause bees not to
select a certain hives those factors can be the use of unappropiate baiting material such as
honey,timing factor and the climatic condition of the area.Then the rebaiting of the beehives was
done by using beeswax which is well advicable and required to be used since it can attract bees
more than other materials and it can not affect the development of the bees.

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4.4 Honey harvesting

According to Civitts(2022),the uncapped honey is not harvested since it contains high moisture
content which then resuls to fermentation of the honey.The buckets were used were used
specially the white one since they can control the temperature when placed outdoors because
they are less likely to absorb heat from the sunlight. Limited smoking is also applied during
harvesting because too much smoking can give honey a smoky odor and contaminate honey with
microscopic soot (Aynalem et al, 2017).

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CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Recommendation

Here are some of the recommendations that made by considering all week of PT ;

Promoting the sustainable practices in Apiary management, this can be done by implementing
some of the methods such as using organic materials for the hive construction, promoting
pollinator-friendly practices, and supporting local ecosystems.

Supplement feeding during scarcity periods, this can help to prevent starvation and colony loss
during the scarcity (e.g.,sugar syrup or pollen substitutes).

Enhance floral diversity around the apiary, the bee friendly plants should be encouraged near the
apiary to support year-round forage for bees. Incorporating a mix of flowering plants, shrubs,
and trees will provide essential nectar and pollen, improving colony health and honey
production.

Monitoring and managing pests and diseases, this can be done through regularly inspect hives for
signs of pests (e.g.,Varroa mites) and diseases (e.g.,American foulbrood). Implement intergrated
pest management strategies, including natural remedies or organic treatment options, to
minimize chemical use and protect bee health.

Reduce pesticide exposure, this means establish an apiaries practicing organic or low-chemical
farming.

Record keeping and data collection, maintaining the detailed records on colony performance,
honey yield, hive conditions and any issues encountered. This can help to identify trends,
strengths, and areas for improvement over time.

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5.2 Conclusion

Generally, this report underscores the complex yet rewarding nature of the effective apiary
management, throung careful planning, informed site selection, and suitable practices that can be
applied so that thr beekeepers can greatly enhance health, productivity, and longevity of their
colonies.There are some of factors indicated which are critical to successful apiary operations
including floral diversity, pest and disease management, environmental protection and seasonal
preparedness.

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REFERENCES

Tanzania forest services agency. (2023). About TFS. http://www.tfs.go,tz.

Rutter.B. (2022). What is an apiary and why are 2 hives better than 1. https://bestbees.com.

Smith. L. (2023). What you should know about beehives. https://www.webmd.com.

Simmonds. M. (2023). The importance of good beehive management practices.

Anderson. C. (2023). What is a good brood pattern? https://carolinahoneybees.com.

BeeAware. (n.d). Inspecting hives. https://beeaware.org.au.

Civitts.R. (2022). When do I harvest my honey? https://mountainsweethoney.com.

Aynalem. T., Kassa. B.,& Dagnew.D. (2017). Enhancing honey quality, colony and beekeepers
safety through the use of modified red-light source during colony inspection in the dark.
Livestock research for rural development. 29(5).

Somerville. D. (2014). Feeding sugar to honeybees. Primefact 1343 first edition.

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