Beesfor Development Journal 93
PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
HEAD PROTECTION FOR BEEKEEPERS Isiaka A Salawu, Federal Government Girls’ College, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
9. Sew a flap of white cotton cloth round the two ends of the sack: the upper end carries the twine for tying the sack around the helmet at the junction between the tray and the bowl as shown above. The lower end stops the net from splitting and guarantees long lasting use. 10. Slide the upper end of the sack over and above the tray. 11. Squeeze the upper end around the junction between the tray and the bowl. 12. Tighten using the twine.
Keywords: honey bee management, Nigeria, West Africa
Making your own protective head gear saves the cost of buying pre-fabricated ones and any repairs are easy because most of the materials are locally sourced. Head protectors can be mass-produced and sold to other interested beekeepers.
Materials
Head-sized plastic bowl or calabash gourd Flat, circular plastic tray (40 cm in diameter) Marker pen 2.5 cm thick foam sheet White cotton or nylon net White cotton cloth Awl or nail and hammer or soldering iron or drill (for making holes in the plastic bowl and tray) 0.2 cm thick twine
Method
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8.
Place the bowl at the centre of the circular tray. Using the marker, mark out the edge of the bowl on the tray. Remove the bowl from the tray. Leave an allowance of 1-2 cm inward (away from the mark on the tray) and cut out the inner circle. This will enable the head to pass through. Replace the bowl and carefully perforate the rim and the point of contact with the tray. Stitch the bowl and the tray together. Line the inner side of the bowl with the foam sheet. Make an open-ended sack at least 60 cm long with the net. The diameter must be wider than that of the tray to give comfort at the shoulder region.
Note
PHOTOS & DIAGRAMS © ISIAKA A SALAWU
• Spray the front part of the net with black paint to enhance visibility. • It is better to use white materials as the bees are calmer and less defensive than with other colours. • A calabash gourd can be carved to shape and used in place of the plastic bowl and tray.
The inner side of the bowl is stitched to the cut tray and lined with foam
External shape of the helmet ready to be tucked into the open-ended sack. Note that the helmet has been repainted white from the original blue. 4
