Have you thought about beekeeping, but just don’t know where to start? Or maybe your neighbors taken up beekeeping, and you have a few questions? Once you understand some basic beekeeping information you understand that beekeeping can be very safe, easy, and quite enjoyable and if you run it as a business, quite profitable.
Beekeeping requires Human Interaction
Do you need to understand that you will have to personally interact with your bees. This is because you’ve taken the bee from its “100% of the work goes to the bee” natural state into a much more controlled “the bee shares the fruits of his labor with the beekeeper” environment.
It is also important to understand that during interaction there is always the possibility of being stung. This is their way of protecting themselves. However, bees do not sting for fun, as a hornet or wasp may do. They generally only sting when they feel threatened.
It is very important to have an anaphylactic injection nearby in case someone is stung that is allergic to bees. A person allergic to bees can have serious reactions, including death. This is not to scare you away from beekeeping; however, it is meant to help you be prepared. Beekeeping requires you to be responsible and prepared at all times.
Beekeeping for a Hobby
Beekeeping can be an interesting hobby where you can learn about their intriguing role in nature. Do you have a passion to learn about the queen bee and how the other bees serve her? Do you have a desire to learn about how bees pollinate and improve the environment? The beehive concept is intriguing in itself. Imagine the bee actually teaching you something about your life. There is so much to learn from bees and how they survive.
Beekeeping as a hobby is not very expensive, doesn’t take much time, and doesn’t require much space. But if you want a lot of honey, you’ll need a larger area and a plentiful supply of flowers within 2 miles of the hive.
Beekeeping truly is a fascinating hobby. Not only can you learn something new each day, but you get to enjoy some tasty honey.
Beekeeping for Business
Beekeeping is a common business for those who intend on selling honey. While this is the common reason people start a beekeeping business, there are many other options available to you for making an income as a beekeeper. Bees have a variety of qualities.
The bees turn the nectar they have collected from nearby flowers into honey and beeswax. Beeswax is used to make the honeycombs where the young bees are raised and also as a place to store extra honey. This beeswax is a secondary product you can sell
Worker bees also produce a substance called Royal Jelly which they eat to produce extra energy. Bees also collect propolis, a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources, that they use as as a sealant in their hive. Propolis is sold by health food storesas a traditional medicine.
Beekeeping Process
The process of beekeeping is simple, yet requires basic knowledge to be successful. Bee hives inhabit three particular types of bees. There is the queen bee, drone bee, and the worker bee. The drone bee will die soon after mating with the queen bee. The worker bee protects the hive and does the majority of the work.
Honey bees pollinate plants to help plants reproduce. This process also helps them obtain the nectar that the bee needs to take back to the hive as a source of food. This is why it is very important to have flowers nearby. As a beekeeper, your job will be to:
– Make or purchase a hive
– Create your first colony
– Regular inspection of your hives
– Keep the bee hives healthy
– Maintain hives
– Handle pests
– Harvest the honey
Also, if you are doing beekeeping is business you’ll need to package, market, and sell the honey.
Tips for Beginner Beekeepers
– Set your hives facing to the East, as bees will use the sun as an alarm clock. Bees work early, and this is the best time to get the pollen and nectar they need.
– Educate your neighbors and family. This is important because people tend to be afraid of bees. Explain how they can improve a neighbor’s flower garden and how they are different from wasps or hornets.
– Buy new equipment. Older used equipment can contain bee diseases. You want to give your bees the best chance so just make sense to buy new apartment.
– When purchasing a bee source, make sure the bees are mite and disease free. It is not recommended that beginners collect and transfer bees from a bee swarm.
– Start in late spring or early summer.
– Wear Personal Protective Equipment or PPE for short, including beekeeping suit, veil, hat and gloves.
– Mand I willake sure there is an adequate supply of water near the hive otherwise bees may stop at your neighbors kidde pool to drink.
– Provide sugar syrup if there’s a lack of flowers or nectar.
– Divide the colony if necessary to prevent overcrowding.
beekeeping can be a rewarding experience if you’re responsible and take the necessary precautions. It can be an enjoyable hobby or even a profitable business for a very long time.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/beekeeping-information-overview-3662455.html
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