“I like eating honey. I started beekeeping to have enough honey for my own consumption.”
My Life as Beekeeper
Who belongs to your family and who is living with you?
I am living with my wife. We do not yet have kids.
How has beekeeping changed your life?
I have started beekeeping at the age of 13. At that point in time, it was my passion for honey that drove me – not so much the income opportunity from selling honey. I was quickly able to pay school fees during my study. Also, I could effort to buy a motorcycle and cover the basic needs of living. Today, I have 163 beehives, 133 of them are colonized.
How do you provide a good environment for your bees?
I primarily focus on the trees. I plant trees for bee forage, and I conserve the old trees as well.
What do trees mean to you and how can they be protected?
Trees give forage for the bees, shade, also for the rain, I don’t cut them and make sure others do not cut them either.
What is the most important thing in your life?
I would like to become wealthy enough to buy a car and set up a decent farm.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
Pests are one of my challenges. Through the training I have learnt how to control them. I am using diesel oil and grease. Another ongoing challenge is the swarming of the bees. Most of my beehives are colonized but not all of them. All my beehives are traditional beehives. They do not last long and can easily get damaged. I am planning to switch to modern beehives step by step.
What do like to do in your free time?
I love watching soccer and enjoy reading books.
Which place would you like to see once?
I would like to travel to Dubai.