Kenyan Beekeepers Produce Honey, Royal Jelly, Bee Venom

Tired of Rustling, Herders Turn to Beekeeping
By Ekwam Nabos, The Standard (Kenya), 8/25/2008

Cattle rustlers may not fear the guns of home guards who try to repel them, but they may be wary of bee stings.

That could be the wisdom behind a new project that strives to convert pastoralists in Samburu District to beekeepers.

Every year, lives are lost in cattle rustling attacks and hundreds of livestock stolen, leaving a region frustrated and fatigued by survival tactics.

But now, deep in the scrublands of Samburu, residents are slowly exploring bee-keeping as an alternative way of livelihood…

Since many locals are nomadic pastoralists, beekeepers in the semi arid area face the challenge of moving with their hives when they relocate in search of pasture.

"They put their hives on their donkeys and move with them to new destinations. But when they harvest their honey they bring it to the refinery," the manager says.

At the refinery pure honey, royal jelly, bee venom, and bee wax are produced using scientific methods…