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🐄 Livestock
ANX-ANIMAL-0000007
Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
The domesticated Western honey bee, kept in log, Kenya Top-Bar (KTB), or Langstroth hives for honey, beeswax, and pollination services.
- Species
- Apis
- Family
- Apidae
- Climate requirements
- Wide climatic tolerance across Kenya, from lowland Acacia woodland to highland forest-edge areas; forage availability (flowering season/diversity) matters more than temperature for colony productivity.
Husbandry
Care & Economics
- Husbandry guide
- Site hives away from human/livestock traffic, in partial shade with a nearby water source and diverse forage within 2-3km flight range. Inspect periodically for queen health, pest/disease signs (varroa mite, wax moth), and honey readiness; harvest by smoking the hive calmly and taking only capped honeycomb, leaving enough stores for colony survival, typically 1-3 times per year depending on forage flow.
- Economic importance
- A low-capital, low-land-requirement enterprise that also boosts crop pollination and yields on the surrounding farm; honey and beeswax provide a valuable, storable, non-perishable cash product for smallholders, particularly in ASAL regions with few other livestock options.
Genetics
Breeds
No breeds recorded yet.
Animal health
Diseases
No diseases recorded yet.
Nutrition
Feeds
No feeds recorded yet.
Veterinary
Drugs & Medication
No drugs recorded yet.
Value chain