Bee keeping helps to increase farm income therefore for increased honey production farmers must ensure hive inspection as well as proper honey harvesting to attain quality produce.
There are signs that help farmers to identify bee colonies that are ready for harvesting, among these include, shedding off flowers and leaves from plants, fruit ripening, maturity of farm other produce, death of male bees in the colony, decrees in buzzing sound in the hive, hives become heavy. Additionally, regular hive inspection helps to monitor progress of the hives, to check pest invasion and identification of colonies ready for harvesting.
Honey production factors
Source of food, presence of flowering plants around the hive leads to more honey production.
Additionally, size of the colony, the smaller the colony the less honey produced and the larger the colony the more honey produced.
Also flowering blossom in the area, plants that produce flowers throughout the year increase honey production that those that flower 3-4 months per year.
Ability of bees to store honey, bees with capacity to store honey increase the production rate than those that can not store honey.
Steps harvesting
Start by finding a partner to harvest with and dress in long clothing with a bee smoker for protection against bee stings.
Then prepare smoke with out using neither plastic nor poisonous as these may lower the quality of honey.
Additionally, open bee hive cover slowly, avoid harvesting combs with larvae to avoid harvesting larvae that are capable of developing into bees.
Lastly, harvesting should be done from combs with three quarters filled and do not harvest all the honey from the hive to avoid colonies from relocating.
