From page 21
and they utilise a third of their swarms to perform pollination services . They extract , bottle and sell 20 tons ( 40 000 bottles ) from their own shop and other outlets , and supply five tons of bulk honey to other commercial beekeepers . As they extend their private outlets , they will reduce their bulk honey sales . They utilise the bulk honey as a cushion which fluctuates in poor honey seasons in order that they can maintain a steady supply for their regular customers . Their field work with their hives operates within a radius of 400 kilometres from home base . They move 600 hives four times during the year to follow the crops of honeyyielding areas , and on a rotational basis they rest 400 hives on permanent Eucalyptus blue gum sites .
Tools of the trade ... essential beekeeping equipment
These resting sites are most important to rebuild the swarms that come off pollination contracts as the swarms weaken due to continual moving and overworking of the queens . These sites are most valuable to rebuild the swarms for the following year ' s pollination contracts . Without these sites the bees would suffer badly and would probably die . As a most important management skill , they have an ongoing swarm replacement program to replace 20 % of their swarms ( 200 ) by setting out catch boxes in strategic areas throughout the year or
BEEKEEPING
by a queen breeding replacement system . Jim and Craig manage all the field work which entails cropping off the honey , visiting the farmers to renew pollination contracts , and the spread of the honey yielding sites as aloes , citrus , litchies , macadamia nuts, sunflowers , soya or kidney beans , avocados , cosmos and indigenous Acacia karroo and Boekenhout . They supervise all the moves of the 600 hives . On a tour system they move and sell most of their honey country-wide , 2 000 bottles per one trip . Carol and Megan , their wives , manage the office , the extracting and bottling of the honey and the shop transactions . They manufacture cosmetic creams and tincture of propolis sold in the shop and to pharmacies . Ron is the
Continued on page 25
23 www . sasmallholder . co . za