Ethiopian Bee-Keeping (Part 1)

So, for our remaining time in Ethiopia Bee Keeping will be my primary work. Jill and I are almost finished writing a big grant proposal to help finish a local apiary/ bee research and training center. Ethiopia is one of the best suites climates for honey bees in the world and my main work is researching/building/promoting the top-bar style bee hive (see photo). There is so much more to write about than I have time for now, but much more cool bee-related stuff to come. I guess you could say at this point that it is kind of an obsession. 

This bee colony lives in a families' window. The bees entered on their own and it makes for an excellent observation hive to study bee behavior. We plan to build another one of these in the future.

This is a traditional Ethiopian Apiary site. The hives under the metal are made of hollowed out logs and sometimes sticks and mud.

My first bee-keeping experience: A night-time bee colony transfer from a traditional hive into a top-bar one. Here we are tying the old combs onto the top bars of the new hive. The bees are more docile and less dangerous at night so it is the best time to deal with them.

The inside of a traditional Ethiopian bee-hive. This one is very healthy.

The old hive, an hollowed log split in 1/2.

Dumping hand fulls of bees into the new hive.

Sweeping the bees out of the old hive.

The bees in the new hive after transfer is almost complete.

The new hive in it's final resting place. The bees took to it very well.

Nearby top-bar apiary site. (these hives are mostly empty of bees)

Smoking the new bee-hive to attract the bees. And top bars drying in the sun.

Second bee colony transfer. Here we are cutting out the old combs.

Queen Bee. It took a while to find her in the dark.

Can you spot the Queen?

queen bee in her cage. this cage will be hung in the new hive to attract the worker bees inside.

Inside the new hive. The bright orange in the comb is Pollen stores.