Buzzing noise that signals rich harvest

David Kithusi, the chairman of Oldonyo-Sabuk Mango Growers Group in Ukambani, examines a beehive.
PHOTO | SOPHIE MBUGUA

What you need to know:

  • Their bean yields have also increased, with farmers harvesting about 14 bags from an acre, up from about half. The farmers sell their honey at Sh600 per kilo.
  • Fruits such as watermelons, according to the expert, depend 100 per cent on bee pollination as they have male and female flowers separately.

Kongo Gaceke, which loosely translates to “thin head” in Kimeru, is a sleepy village on the slopes of Mount Kenya.

Facing the snow-capped ridges of the mountain in this village is a farm owned by Agnes Kendi.

For many years, she saw bees as a nuisance and a threat to anything that lived in her homestead. The insects would invade her home and settle on trees and even houses, sending animals and children scampering for safety.

“I would use pesticides to kill them and when it didn’t work, I burned them at night using paraffin. But the bees kept coming back.”

Today, Agnes is teaching fellow small-scale farmers why they should keep bees. 

So what changed? The member of Kangaita-Mkando Vision Bee Keeping Group learned the importance of keeping bees.

RAISING THE QUALITY

She is among the 22 members of the group who have benefited from Kenya Pollinator Project (KPP), which is working with farmers to promote bee keeping.
The project aims at raising the quality and quantity of crop production by creating awareness on the importance of bee-keeping.

“We started the group with the help of KPP to understand the benefits of bees, particularly as pollinators,” Agnes says.

Dr Muo Kasina, a senior pollination and pest management researcher at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, says bees are active agents of pollination, hence farmers who keep them increase their yields.

“Out of every 10 90kg sacks of beans produced on a farm, four are due to bee pollination,” Kasina says.

“On average, farmers reap 40 per cent of their net benefits directly from bees since they contribute to 85 per cent of all agricultural production,” Kasina, who is behind the pollination project says.
He adds that beans (any type) produce more seeds and protein content when pollinated by bees.

“Pollinated beans have a six per cent higher protein content compared to the ones not pollinated. Even if farmers use certified seeds, they may not get much if their crops are not pollinated, particularly, by bees.”

Fruits such as watermelons, according to the expert, depend 100 per cent on bee pollination as they have male and female flowers separately.

“We did field trials for 45 months where we planted watermelons. We covered five with a net and left the rest open. During harvest, the five did not have a single fruit but we harvested fruits weighing between 5 to 7kg from the ones we left in the open and were pollinated by bees.”

Some members of Kangaita-Mkando Vision Bee Keeping Group, who had stopped growing watermelon, have now embraced the crop after starting to keep bees.

Their bean yields have also increased, with farmers harvesting about 14 bags from an acre, up from about half.

The farmers sell their honey at Sh600 per kilo.

But it is not only Kangaita-Mkando group which has embraced bee keeping.

David Kithusi, the chairman of Oldonyo-Sabuk Mango Growers Group from Nzambani, Machakos has been keeping bees for the last eight years for honey and to pollinate his crops.
THE SWEET SMELL

But over time, his bee population reduced, affecting honey production.

“The sweet smell from mango flowers has now brought them back. But black ants and spider webs can deter bees from getting into a hive.”

He says because of bees, his mangoes have become more uniform and bigger. “The yields have gone up. Initially, I would get about 30 fruits per tree in a harvest, but this has increased to more than 40.”

To get good honey and better crop yields, Kasina advises farmers to protect bees.

“Spray your crops mainly in the evening around 4 to 5pm when the insects are less active and have gone back to the hives.”

He adds that crop farmers should keep at least one or two bee hives in their farms.

“Have trees within your farm where the bees can get nectar. Indigenous trees and shrubs are good. They will ensure the bees will have enough food and thus better your crop yields.”