Browsing by Author "Kimani, C.W."
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Item Stingless Bee Apiary(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, 2024) Kasina, M.J.; Ndung’u, N.N.; Toroitich, D.; Mulwa, J.M.; Onyango, I.A.; Guantai, M.M.; Kinyanjui, J.M.; Kimani, C.W.; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationA stingless bee apiary, also known as a meliponary, is a managed location where stingless bee hives and colonies are kept and maintained for stingless beekeeping. Such an apiary can take various forms, including a tree with multiple stingless bee hives, a tree with a single stingless bee hive, a house where hives are hung on rafters or walls, or specialized housing structures designed specifically for stingless bees.Item Stingless Bee Honey Harvesting, Processing, Packaging, and Storage(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization., 2024) Kasina, M.J.; Ndung’u, N.N.; Toroitich, D.; Mulwa, J.M.; Onyango, I.A.; Guantai, M.M.; Kinyanjui, J.M.; Kimani, C.W.; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization.Stingless bees produce honey from the nectar of flowering plants. This honey is more liquid than that of honey bees due to the high water content. Additionally, each stingless bee species has specific honey characteristics including taste and colour. This specificity is brought about by the variation of plants visited by the different species. Stingless bees produce highly medicinal honey and propolis. The two products have been shown to have antioxidants and antibacterial activities and thus are of economic and medical importance. These properties have made stingless bees popular in addition to the appealing aroma and flavour. Harvesting is the art of removing stingless bee honey from the hives, and consequently from the honey pots. Stingless bee honey harvesting involves removing honey pots very carefully using a knife, placing the pots in the bowl, and then closing the hive. The pots are then squeezed or pricked using a sharp object to remove the honey. The honey is then put in a clean food grade container for further processing.Item Stingless Bee Honey Value Addition(Apiculture and Beneficial Insects Research Institute, KALRO, 2024) Kasina, M. J.; Ndung’u, N.N.; Toroitich, D.; Mulwa, J.M.; Kimani, C.W.; Onyango, I.A.; Guantai, M.M.; Kinyanjui, J.M.; Kimani, C.W.Stingless bees are types of bees that are different from the common honey bees. They belong to many different species and may be endemic in some places. They are much smaller in size compared to honey bees. However, their size is also varied across the different species. They do not sting, rather, they can bite. They usually defend themselves mainly by being a nuisance to the intruder. Stingless bee honey is also referred to as pot honey. This honey and its products are in high demand, but the supply is insufficient. This is because the stingless bees produce much smaller quantities of honey compared to the honey bees. The quality of their honey varies with the species, which helps to develop niche markets. Honey, whether of stingless bees or honey bees, is a plant product. Its quality and nutritive value therefore depends on the forages where bees collect nectar. Stingless bees collect nectar from high density of plants compared to honey bees.Item Types of Bee Hives(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, 2024) Kasina, M.J.; Toroitich, D.; Mulwa, J.M.; Onyango, I.A.; Guantai, M.M.; Ndung’u, N.N.; Kinyanjui, J.M.; Kimani, C.W.; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research OrganizationA bee hive is a structure that houses bee colonies. The following hives are the most commonly used in Kenya and beekeepers can adopt any depending on the availability and preference.
