Beekeeping
12 Grade 10 Agriculture questions on Beekeeping, with worked marking schemes. 12 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
6 marksApart from honey, explain three other benefits a farmer obtains from keeping bees on a mixed farm.
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
Any THREE benefits; 1 mark for naming and 1 mark for the explanation: - Beeswax: harvested from the combs and sold or used for making candles, shoe and furniture polish, cosmetics and for baiting hives, giving extra income. - Pollination: foraging bees pollinate crops such as sunflower, coffee, pumpkins and fruit trees, which raises seed set and yields. - High value hive products: propolis, royal jelly and bee venom are sold for medicinal and cosmetic use and fetch good prices for small quantities. - Use of poor land: bees need very little land and can be kept on rocky or dry land that cannot support crops, earning income from that land. - Sale of colonies: swarms or nuclei can be sold to other farmers starting apiaries.
Question 2
1 markWhich one of the following is an advantage of the Langstroth hive over the traditional log hive?
A. Honey is harvested from removable frames without destroying the brood combs
B. It is cheaper because it is made from logs found on the farm
C. Bees occupy it without the hive being baited first
D. Bees kept in it do not sting, so protective clothing is not needed
(1 mark)
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1 markWhile inspecting a hive, a learner notices a few bees that are larger and stouter than the rest, have no sting and never return to the hive carrying pollen. These bees are
A. young queens waiting to leave with a swarm
B. guard bees stationed at the hive entrance
C. drones
D. worker bees that lost their stings after stinging an intruder
(1 mark)
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4 marksState four factors a farmer in Makueni should consider when selecting a site for an apiary.
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any FOUR, 1 mark each: - Plenty of bee forage nearby (flowering acacia, melia, sunflower, pigeon peas) to supply nectar and pollen. - A source of clean water close to the apiary so that bees do not fly far for water. - Sheltered from strong wind and from the hot afternoon sun; partial shade. - Away from footpaths, homesteads, livestock bomas and noisy places to avoid disturbance and stinging. - Away from bad smells, smoke and places where crops are sprayed with pesticides. - Secure from thieves and from pests such as honey badgers and ants.
Question 5
3 marksState three signs that show honey in a Kenya Top Bar Hive is ready for harvesting.
(3 marks)
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1 markThe most suitable time to harvest honey from a Kenya Top Bar Hive is
A. at midday, when most of the foragers are away in the field
B. on a rainy day, because the bees are unable to fly out and sting
C. at any time of the day, provided the beekeeper is wearing protective clothing
D. late in the evening, when the foragers have returned and the colony has settled
(1 mark)
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2 marksDistinguish between swarming and absconding in honeybees.
(2 marks)
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1 markA beekeeper puffs a little smoke into the hive entrance before opening the hive. The smoke helps mainly because it
A. makes the bees fill themselves with honey so that they become calm
B. gives the harvested honey a pleasant smoky flavour
C. drives every bee out of the hive so that the combs can be removed
D. kills the bees that would otherwise sting the beekeeper
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich one of the following practices by a beekeeper is most likely to make a colony abscond?
A. Hanging the hive in a shaded, sheltered place
B. Baiting the inside of the hive with beeswax before hanging it
C. Leaving only a small entrance hole at the front of the hive
D. Cutting out all the combs, including the brood combs, at every harvest
(1 mark)
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3 marksSuggest three ways in which a beekeeper can control ants in an apiary.
(3 marks)
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5 marksDescribe the procedure a beekeeper follows when harvesting honey from a Kenya Top Bar Hive in the evening.
(5 marks)
Marking scheme
1 mark for each correct step, maximum 5: - Put on clean protective clothing (overall or bee suit, veil, gloves, gumboots) and light the smoker using dry grass or cow dung. - Approach the hive quietly from behind or from the side and puff smoke at the entrance, then wait a short while for the colony to settle. - Open the hive from the end furthest from the brood and lift the top bars one at a time, gently smoking or brushing the bees off each comb. - Cut off only the sealed honey combs, leaving the brood combs and some honey for the colony to feed on. - Place the combs in a clean covered container, return the bars, close the hive and leave the apiary quietly without dropping combs or wax about.
Question 12
1 markAfter cutting honeycombs from a hive, a beekeeper in Mwingi separates the honey from the wax by straining it through a clean cloth instead of boiling the combs. Boiling is avoided mainly because it
A. makes the honey crystallise faster inside the container
B. spoils the natural flavour and lowers the quality of the honey
C. removes all the wax particles from the honey
D. kills the yeasts that would otherwise ferment the honey
(1 mark)
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