Coming 2026

Beekeeping 101

A Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your First Hive in East Africa

From choosing your first colony to harvesting golden honey — everything you need to start beekeeping in Kenya’s diverse landscapes, written for absolute beginners.

Discover What’s Inside

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What You’ll Learn

Practical knowledge for East African beekeepers

Choosing Your Hive

Langstroth, Kenya Top Bar, or log hive? Compare hive types suited to East Africa’s climate and your budget.

Local Bee Species

Understand Apis mellifera scutellata — the African honeybee — its temperament, strengths, and how to work with it safely.

Siting & Setup

Where to place your apiary in arid, semi-arid, and highland regions. Water sources, shade, and forage considerations.

Seasonal Management

Calendar-based guidance aligned to East African flowering seasons, rain patterns, and harvesting windows.

Harvesting & Processing

Gentle harvesting techniques, honey extraction, beeswax recovery, and simple value-addition for local markets.

Pests & Health

Identify and manage common threats — hive beetles, wax moths, ants, and colony diseases — with locally available solutions.

About the Author

Written from the field, not the classroom

Nick is a Nairobi-based technologist, farmer, and beekeeper with hands-on experience managing hives across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions. After years of learning through trial, error, and mentorship from local beekeepers, he wrote the guide he wished he’d had on day one.

Beekeeping 101 combines practical field knowledge with modern techniques — designed specifically for East African beginners who want to start right and build a sustainable apiary.

— Nick