BEE KEEPING BASICS

Apiculture is the practice of keeping and maintaining bees and their hives. The beekeeper is also referred to as the apiarist and the entire colony set up is called the Apiary. Beekeeping has grown in popularity in recent years and the raw honey, beeswax and royal jelly are much sought after products.

When adding bees, first take the time to learn how to start a honey bee farm because it deserves some unique considerations. Just as when adding any animal to the farm, being prepared before the bees come home, will help you be successful. Bees will require water, sun, a sturdy hive, and during some parts of the year, they may require feeding. It is nice to position the hive against a protected fence or tree line if available. Bees will fly a long distance every day to find enough pollen. Grasses, trees, herbs, flowers, and weeds all produce pollen that is used by bees to feed the hive. You don’t need to have a flourishing flower bed in your yard, but having a varied garden will help the bees get enough food.

Build or Buy the Hive

When you purchase the hive or the component parts the wood is unfinished. You will need to stain or paint the wood in order to protect it from the winter. Ours is painted with exterior paint, to match my neighbor’s house since the hive is on her property and is shared between our two families. The choice is yours to make, but your hive will be out in the weather so the wood needs to be protected somehow.

Getting the Bees

Before we get into the types of hives and the location, let’s discuss the bees themselves. For our first hive, we chose to purchase a nuc (short for nuclear colony), from a local apiary. This is not the only way to get started. You can also purchase a package of bees and a separate queen, or you can capture a swarm if one happens to take up residence on your property. The advantages of buying a nuc when starting beekeeping is that the bees are already starting to produce comb and honey when you bring them home. You simply put on your bee protective clothing and transfer the ten frames from the cardboard box, into your hive. The colony has already accepted the queen, and they have mated with her so you have varying ages of brood ready to mature and take over as older bees die out.

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Types of Bee Hives

Skep – Long ago, beekeepers used something called a skep to house bees. This is no longer used because it is hard to remove the honey from the skep and this type of hive is difficult to clean and can become unsanitary. Although they are no longer used, skeps can be a decorative addition to a collection of vintage farming equipment.

Top Bar  –  The Top Bar beehive looks similar to a trough used for animal feeding. The bees make their own comb by drawing it down from the wooden bar inside the top of the hive.

Langstroth – In many parts of the country, the Langstroth beehive is what you will commonly see. The Langstroth consists of wooden boxes called supers, stacked on top of each other. They are sitting on a base called the foundation board and topped with a lid or cover. Inside, the bees create their comb and fill the cells with honey on waxed frames that hang vertically inside the super. Langstroth is the type of hive we chose to use.

Warre – The Warre has been compared to a cross between a hollowed out tree and a top bar hive. The Warre Hives are smaller than the Top Bar and the Langstroth versions. I actually think I would like to try one of the Warre hives one day.

No matter which type of hive you start with, use cinder blocks, a table or stacked pallets to raise the hive up from ground level.

Location for the Hive

We chose a spot for the bee hive that received sun but was also in some shade to protect the colony from overheating. The growth near the hive would provide some nearby pollen and provide some protection from the elements. This seems to have worked out just fine for our bee hive. The bees will stay active as long as the sun is shining. Orient the door away from any traffic area near your house or barns. In other words, you don’t want to be walking through the flight path the bees use to get back to the door of the hive.

Additional Equipment Needed

• Beekeeping smoker
• Hive tool – Helps with lifting the frames from the supers
• Honey extraction equipment
• Protective clothing

FRENCH BEANS BASICS

French beans, also known as snap or green beans, and locally as mishiri, are a major export crop. Interest in the crop is fast-growing for both fresh consumption and processing (mainly canning and freezing).French beans contain protein, fat, calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins A, B, D and starch. French beans grow well in lower midland to lower highland zones of altitudes ranging from 1500-2100 metres above sea level. Rain-fed cultivation is possible in areas with well-distributed, medium to high annual rainfall of 900-1,200mm per annum. However, to maintain continuous supply especially during the off-season, irrigation is essential. Up to 50mm of water per week is required. French beans can grow in different soil types, ranging from sandy, loam to clay. The optimum temperature for production is 20-250C. However, the beans survive in temperature ranging from 14-320C depending on the variety. Extreme temperatures result in poor flower development and poor pod set. Seedlings will not tolerate temperature lower than 100C. They, however, grow well on friable (easily crumbled), silty loam to heavy clay soils, which are well-drained and high in organic matter.

SOIL TEST

The optimum soil pH is 6.5 to 7.5, but the beans can tolerate a low pH of up to 4.5.Below a pH of 4.5, plant growth is impaired through limitation of development of the rhizobium bacteria that are responsible for the nitrogen fixation in the galls formed on the bean roots.

It’s advisable to carry out a soil test before planting.  Various varieties are grown mainly for export, and they are determined by the market preference. They include Amy, Teresa, Samantha, Julia, Paulista, Vernando, Serengeti, Cupvert, Tokai and Bakara, Monel, Gloria, Claudia, Morgan, Amy coby, Espada, Maasai and Nerina.

Fresh market varieties are Amy, Pekara, Teresa, Paulista, Rexas, Samantha and Cupvert. Varieties for processing include Julia, Vernandon and Sasa.Planting should be scheduled so that most of the crop is ready between October to mid-December and from mid-January to end of May.In warm areas, beans take 55-60 days from planting to first picking, hence, plant from mid­-August to mid-October, then plant again early December.

French beans are sown directly into the seed bed. The land should be ploughed and harrowed properly just before planting. With irrigation, French beans can be grown all-year round but the main export season is from October to May. Spacing should be single rows of 30x15cm (a seed per hole) or double rows of 60x30cm. The spacing will depend on the variety, soil fertility, water availability as well as climate. It is advisable to plant in blocks of about four rows separated by a path of about 50cm.

FERTILISER AND MANURE APPLICATION

The seed rate required is 25-60kg/ha (10-24kg/acre) of certified seeds depending on the variety.Apply 200kg/ha (80kg/acre) DAP along the rows before planting. Contact between fertiliser and seed should be avoided by mixing the former thoroughly with the soil in the planting furrow. Apply 150kg/ha (60kg/acre) Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) for top-dressing twice. First when two to three leaves appear and the second at the beginning of flowering. 

Avoid use of excess nitrogen as it may promote vigorous vegetative growth at the expense of pod production. Foliar feeds are recommended to boost crop development and production. The choice of the fertiliser depends on the fertility of the soil and variety requirements. Farmyard manure is also recommended especially where soils are low in organic matter, for example, on the heavy clay and sandy soils. It should be applied in planting furrow and worked into the soil at the rate of 10 tonnes/ha.A kilo of seeds requires 4-8kg of fertiliser depending on the variety and soil conditions.

WEED CONTROL
The first weeding should be done two to three weeks after they sprout, followed by a second weeding about two weeks later. Care should be taken to avoid damaging the shallow roots, especially during the first weeding. The crop should not be weeded at flowering time and when the field is wet to avoid the shedding of flowers, spread of diseases and soil compaction.

Use of herbicides may be economically feasible for the commercial French beans grower. Pre-emergence herbicides such as: Lasso 4 EC (Alachlor) and Stomp (Pendimethalin) can be used. Basagran (Bentazon) can be applied post-emergence for control of broad leaved weeds.

IRRIGATION
Constant water supply is essential because soil moisture affects yield, uniformity and quality of French beans. Lack of water during flowering and podding causes flower abortion and curved pods leading to reduced yields. French beans, however, are very sensitive to waterlogged conditions.

The irrigation regime below is based on crop water requirement at various stages of growth as well as the soil and weather conditions.

i) Planting to 10 days (post-emergence), apply 35mm of water per week per crop.

ii)10 days post-emergence to flowering blooms, apply 50mm per week.

iii) At podding stage, apply 35mm per week.

Supporting French beans
Climbing varieties that grow to about 1.8m (6ft) high need to be supported. This is done by use of trellises, poles, or other means at least 200cm (8ft) high.

DISEASES
RUST
The disease is caused by the fungus Uromycesappendiculatus. This is a very serious disease to French Beans and other beans. It is favoured by high humidity conditions.

Symptoms include presence of slightly raised, small white spots, on the surface of the lower leaf. The spots turn red to dark brown after a few days. Control is by crop rotation, use of tolerant varieties and chemical recommended fungicides.

ANGULAR LEAF SPOT

It is a fungal disease caused by Phaeoisariopsisgriseola. Leaves, stalks, and pods have angular brown or red spots with purple edges and grey to brown centres. The leaves may then fall prematurely. Control by use of healthy, certified seeds and treat seeds using recommended fungicides.

ROOT ROTS
Affected plants show yellowing and drying of stem at soil level. Stunting also occurs. The crop may further show poor seedling establishment, uneven growth, chlorosis and premature defoliation of severely infected plants. Control through seed dressing and drenching with recommended fungicides during the vegetative stage.

BACTERIAL BLIGHTS
It is caused by Pseudomonas phaseolicola and Xanthomonaphaseoli. This is a serious disease for beans, especially in cool and wet areas. The disease is spread through splashing from exuding lesions and plant debris. Plants show ring-like spots on the leaves, drying of leaf margins, yellowing and water-soaked pods. It is controlled by use of certified seeds, rouging and destruction of affected plants, crop rotation and chemical sprays using copper-based fungicide.

ANTHRACNOSE

The disease is caused by a seed-borne fungus called Colletotrichumlindemuthiamum. The fungus is and affects all aerial plant parts. It is spread by rain splash, wind or mechanical contact. The disease usually occurs in cool, damp weather. It is characterised by appearance of sunken, brown spots with black edges on pods; angular brown spots on leaves; and oblong stripes on stems.

Controlled by use of certified seeds, field sanitation, crop rotation, use of resistant varieties and recommended fungicides.

BEAN COMMON MOSAIC VIRUS
The disease is seed-borne and it is transmitted by aphids. The symptoms vary with variety, stage of growth, and environmental factors. They include a mosaic (that is mottling, curling and stunting of leaves,) systemic necrosis and malformations. The plant produces excessive number of lateral shoots. Control: Use of certified seeds, plant resistant varieties, rouging of infected plants and control of aphid vectors using insecticides.

POWDERY MILDEW

It is caused by a fungus known as Erysiphe spp.It attacks stems, leaves, flowers, and pods, which appear covered with white powdery growth that later turns black. In severe cases, the leaves turn yellow and drop off.

Control: Field hygiene, crop rotation and use of recommended fungicides
Downy mildew.The underside of crop leaves exhibit white to greyish growth, which later cover whole leaf surface.

Control: Field hygiene, crop rotation and use chemical fungicides.

HARVESTING
Picking of pods begins six to eight weeks after planting, depending on the area and variety, and continues for about one to two months. The pods are carefully picked, and not pulled from the plants, and should have the stalk attached to them.

Picking should be done at regular intervals depending on buyer specifications. Harvesting may be done twice a week for the fine beans and three times a week for the extra fine beans. This continues for around three weeks.
One gets yields of nine to 15 tonnes/ha and six tonnes/acre in 2½ months. A kilo of seeds may produce 200-600kg of produce depending on the variety and crop management.

CATEGORIES
1) Extra fine pods: Are very tender, turgid, seedless, with no strings, and free from any defects. The width of the pods (maximum diameter) should be less than 6mm and the minimum length of 10cm.

2) Fine pods may have small seeds and be short with soft strings, be turgid and tender. The width of the pods should be between 6-9mm while the length of 12-l4cm is recommended.

3) Bobby beans comprise those which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above. Beans should be reasonably tender and seeds should not be too large.

CHALLENGES
(i) Rejection of the produce if they do not meet the set quality standards

(ii)Poor disease and pest management can lead to poor quality produce.