Mr Aloyce Masawe with his own developed beehive for stingless bees, the renowed Onana 94. He has over 100 hives of stingless bees in his yard.

Welcome to Onana Apiculture Research Centre, a private initiative of Mr Aloice Masawe, who keeps over 100 colonies of stingless African bees around his homestead around Umbwe. A former research technician and now retired (but not idle) Aloice has a keen interest in bees (all types) and has developed a special hives for the stingless bees.

He would like to share his interest to all those who want to see it. He especially would like to learn from others how to develop beekeeping on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and how to preserve the forests.

Mr Aloice taking down one of the many hives in his cow shed. During the night his dairy cows are kept in this shed.

The stingless bees are of the Trigona and Meliponula species and their honey is highly prized and well sought after for medicinal use.

Read more here about the stingless bees

In this picture one can see brood combs (red), pollen chambers (green) and honey bells (blue).

Honey is harvested by puncturing the honey bells and pouring it out from the hive into a container.

This river was stocked by Canadian Rainbow Trout by Mr Aloyce and he would like to welcome tourists to try their luck in catching them.

View of the yard with hives under the eaves of the roof.

Please come to visit us at Umbwe village, near Kibosho. Day visits can be arranged by Kiliweb

ONANA APICULTURE CENTRE