BEEKEEPING AND DEVELOPMENT 35
A FRAME FOR THE KENYA TOP-BAR HIVE! by Mark
Luckhurst, Kenya
THE OUTSTANDING FEATURE of the Kenya top-bar hive is that it is simple and
Fig
1.
Kenya top-bar frame designed by Ruai Beekeepers
relatively cheap to make and use. Its adoption in other countries is testimony to its suitability as a hive for rural beekeepers. It is largely for this reason, and due to its sloping sides, that frames for the hive have not been developed. Because wax production may be a primary objective in some countries where top-bar hives are used, centrifugal extraction of honey from comb may have been discouraged. Also if honey is to be used for brewing and other
25
fa,
<5
MIXED BLESSING Although the absence of frames reduces production costs, it can prove a mixed blessing. Combs are fragile, particularly when laden with honey. Inspection is often carried out after dusk and frequently results in a container half-filled with heavily soiled, unripe comb. Top-bars without frames do not Jend themselves to transport and this can represent a considerable loss if the beekeeper is unable to move the hive. Honey flows are often brief but intense in Kenya and time spent by migratory swarms building fresh wax comb may result in disappointing yields of honey. The development of a simple, robust but inexpensive frame for the Kenya top-bar hive might help overcome these difficulties.
FRAME
<2
—,
mm
=
mnt
—
_—— TOP-BAR
65° 2 THUMB
—
traditional practices, then centrifuges are ecessary.
FRAME SUNK |NTO TOP BAR 3mm
A>31mm
GAUGE WIRES 16
~L
3 mm
TACKS
THICK
97m,
Fig 2. Kenya top-bar frame
48 cm
It
\
|
Cy
A
~
4.5 cm
5
=
€ Ava
16.5 cm
Members of Ruai Beekeepers’ Co-operative have tackled this problem and achieved some encouraging results. Although their frame is still very much in the experimental phase it could prove useful. We hope that other B&D readers using top-bar hives will be
encouraged to try it. Using the bee space for African bees recommended by Tanzanian researchers in the 1950s, frames were made from African pencil cedar Juniperus procera (Figs and 2). This wood was chosen for its hardness and resistance to its warping. It is also termite resistant and fragrance is said to attract bees. 1
ASSEMBLY
Fig 3. Christopher Ndirangu assembling
a frame
A Bees for Development publication
Assembly is simple. It takes place on a jig made from a wooden board (Fig 3). Headless nails are located on it in such a way as to
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS
MARK LUCKHURST
THREE
