A startup is revolutionizing beekeeping in Kenya by introducing the first remote beehive monitoring system that is tripling the earnings of 3,240 beekeepers.
Pollen Patrollers uses small sensors that are placed in the hive to monitor bees and capture detailed information on the health of the hive which has seen farmers improve their honey production from three to five kilograms to up to 15Kg per hive.
Kenya only produces 25,000 metric tons or 20 per cent of its annual honey production potential of 100,000 metric tons. This is because four of every five Kenyan farmers produce just 3.7kg of honey per hive rather than the expected 18.5kg per hive.
“We charge our farmers, the majority of whom are smallholders, just Sh259 to lease our sensors every month,” explained Margaret Wanjiku, the CEO of Pollen Patrollers.
The sensor which detects any problems that cut honey production such as temperature, humidity, weight, and sound of the beehive as well as the bee’s food gathering activity, and status of their queen more than pays for itself as farmers sell the 12 to 10 kilograms of honey gotten from each hive for Sh500 per kilogram to bee associations and Sh800 locally.
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By leasing the sensors, farmers are also spared having to repair the sensors themselves if they become faulty.
“A really attentive farmer will check their hive maybe every month, while most farmers set their hives and forget them for three months when they go back to harvest their honey. This is because farmers do not want to check on the hives unless they really have to as this often involves borrowing a beekeeping suit or going through the hustle of putting one on if they are lucky enough to be able to afford one. Sometimes they also lack the expertise to know what is wrong with their hive and how to fix it,” Wanjiku, who is also the Founder of the all-women-led startup, said.
Excessively high temperatures for example can empty a beehive or even kill the bees in days to weeks which leaves the beekeeper with just dry cobs at harvest.
A farmer who has the sensors in their hives will get an SMS notification on their phone telling them that the temperature of their hive is too high and importantly recommendations on how to reduce it such as opening the beehive roof or poking holes in the hive for ventilation.
The sensors, which have cameras and are discreetly installed under the roof of the hive, can also tell the beekeeper if the queen is healthy or has stopped laying eggs and helps them find solutions for this.
With Pollen Patrollers having many hives across the country that are placed at different geographical locations, climates and under different bee keeping systems, farmers are also able to compare performance and determine which is the best way to rear their bees and get the most honey from them.
It also alerts the beekeeper if any attempts are being made to rob the beehive or honeycombs and gives instant notification. It also does the same if the hive is disturbed, moved, or knocked over.
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The farmers the company is currently working with are majorly in Ukambani counties, Kajiado and Juja.
Wanjiku was the first runners up of the recently concluded 2024 AYuTe Africa Challenge Kenya, an annual award for young agritech innovators with the most promise in the country.
Pollen Patrollers: 0704611678