A beekeeper with a colonized hive must remember that the success in keeping bees depends on the exercise of his knowledge of colony organization. Three practices of colony management are discussed in greater detail in this entry. The first part gives a step-by-step description of how to divide a very good established colony of 9 or more combs. The second part outlines different methods to unite bees to strengthen a colony or in cases where a queen dies or not enough bee hives are available. In a third part advice is provided for feeding bees during rainy and dry seasons or in the early stages of colony formation.
This technology is part of a series on hive management derived from the FAO publication Beekeeping in Africa.