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You've done your beekeeping homework. You've chosen a site for your beehive where it won't be knocked down in a strong wind, or be bothered by pets and humans. You've purchased all the right equipment and are comfortable using it. You've tried on all your beekeeping gear and are comfortable that it fits you properly and are confident that you are reasonably protected from bee stings. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Pollen is a source of protein, vitamins, mineral and some carbohydrates for honeybees. One pollen alone does not provide a bee with all the nutrients they need to stay healthy, so a variety of pollens are needed to provide them will all the nutrients they need. Without these nutrients, bees would not be able to produce the royal jelly required to feed the queen and rear brood. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
The springtime is the time when honeybees reproduce. The natural means of reproduction for honey bees is called swarming. The springtime swarming period typically last about three weeks. Normally a single swarm of honey bees divide and becomes two during the swarming period. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , ,
One of the most important pieces of clothing a beekeeper wears is the veil. Bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the possibility of damage to the eyes and ears. If by chance a bee gets inside the veil, walk away from the hives and remove the bees. Never remove the veil when you are in with the hives. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Plants have a glandular secretion, called nectar, which usually collects at the base of the flowers. Bees depend on this nectar for their source of energy. Honeybees dehydrate nectar to produce honey because it contains a low to moderate concentration of sugar. If a little pollen is incorporated into it, there can be barely measurable amounts of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients in the nectar. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Obviously the whole reason to set up, maintain, and stock a beehive is to harvest honey. You will know that it is time to harvest the honey when you look in one of your hives supers and find that the frames are full of honey combs that your bees have covered with wax caps. Related Article Tags: , , , , , ,
The survival of a colony of bees living in a bee hive depends on the queen bee. Without a queen bee the hive will eventually die. The hives queen is the only female bee in the hive that has fully developed reproductive organs. The queen is not in control of the hive. Her soul purpose is to lay eggs that will develop into bees that will fill other roles in the hive. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
First detected in the United States in 1984 the Tracheal mite has caused the loss of tens of thousands of colonies and millions of dollars. The tracheal mite will infest the tracheal system of the adult honey bee, they prefer adult bees less than four days old. Levels seem to be at the highest during the winter and spring. Once they are on the bee, the mites are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled and enter the spiracles located on the thorax, which lead to the tracheal system. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Like all hobbies, beekeeping requires some basic equipment before someone can establish a successful hive. This equipment should be bought before you get a call from the post office asking you to come pick up bees. The most obvious piece of equipment you will need is the actual bee hive. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
If you want to keep bees in a populated area, you will need to know the basics of bee biology, property rights, and human psychology. It can be done with very few problems. Even in a city it is possible for bees to find enough pollen to feed them and produce a honey crop at harvest. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Training to be a beekeeper is a time consuming skill that many take seriously because you have to share a passion for something that was once declared a simple hobby to which has joined the billion-dollar food market. The beekeeping industry has come a long way from it being a simple hobby to where it's going on tables across the world. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
There's approximately 20,000 species of bees throughout the world making them the interest of beekeepers who rely on them to cross pollinate because when bees do that it changes not only the flowers they collect pollen from creating new species of flowers, but it also changes the consistency of the honey the produce. Beekeepers also track bees when they cross breed with other species of bees and that's how they track their habits from mating to origin of where they come from. Related Article Tags: , , , , , ,
As long as you aren't allergic to bee stings beekeeping is a way for someone who doesn't have a great deal of money and acres of land to take an active role in agriculture. The start up expense of the average hive is approximately $300 per hive (you only need one to get begin with). Once you have purchased a hive it can be kept in a remote corner of your back yard, it is not uncommon to see some suburban homes with a bee hive. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Intruders are going to get stung by the bees protecting the hive. As a beekeeper you will have to be prepared to receive your share of stings. If you have any fear of bees or of being stung, you will have to conquer those apprehensions. As you gain confidence and more adept at the handling of the bees, the stings will happen less frequently. Related Article Tags: , , , , , ,
You will find the adult and larvae of the small hive beetle are found in active beehives and stored bee equipment where they feed on pollen and honey. The small hive beetle is native to Africa where it requires 38-81 days to develop from egg to adult. Beetle larvae on not spin webs or cocoons in the beehive but rather pupate in the ground outside the hive. This first record of this beetle in the Western Hemisphere was determined from a commercial apiary in Florida in May 1998. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Chronic Bee Paralysis is another of the viral infections that can plague a bee colony. Like all of the other bee viruses there is no cure or medication that can be taken to eliminate the infection, the only preventative measure is sanitation. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
The success of the colony depends largely on the quality of the queen. As a beekeeper you may notice a difference in the production of honey from one colony to the next. The difference in production can depend on several factors, one of which is the queen. Beekeepers call this trait as "queenlessness". Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Nosema is the most widespread of the adult honey bee diseases. A single celled animal named Nosema apis, a small, unicellular parasite specific to the honeybee, causes it. Nosema cannot exist in a laboratory culture, as with most bacteria and fungi. It will only thrive and multiply in the epithelial cells of the honey bee ventriculus which causes dysentery. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
No one really knows when the first time someone thought about collecting the honey from hives. We do know that the art of beekeeping has been around for a long time. Archaeologist have discovered cave drawings depicting collecting honey. These caves were found in Africa and Spain's eastern regions. Related Article Tags: , , , , , ,
As a beekeeper you will be subjected to bee stings. They will decrease in time, as you become more adept at the handling of bees. If you should be stung, you will need to know what to do. When a bee stings you the stinger will remain behind because of the barbs on the stinger. DO NOT pull the stinger out this only release more of the bee venom into the sting site. Scrap the stinger out. Use a fingernail or even the hive tool to remove the stinger. Related Article Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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