Raising Bees for Honey

Raising bees should be considered as something beneficial to a number of aspects. First, it could be a very good choice for a hobby which can be developed to a profitable small to medium business. Producing quality honey and sell them to a targeted market is something very feasible to accomplish.

Bees are wonderful creatures that play an important role in the pollination of crops. Thus bees are indispensable to ensure a successful harvesting of a farm crops. It is the fact that bee population in some region is declining, hence threatening the supply of crops. Playing this role, bees are also useful to many other plants. Raising bees could be a form of social responsibility as a contribution from your side that aims to keeping nature balance.

Honey and bees have been proven by the medical profession to possess therapeutic values. Honey has been known since ancient time as a remedy for many diseases and to strengthen body immunity. Many natural therapists use bee stings as a cure for some specific illness.

If you find yourself interested in raising bees, here are 5 tips on how to raise bees in a proper and right way.

#1 – Get your beekeeping supplies. Get the things you need to start with, especially those to protect yourself against bee stings. You need a beekeeper suit to cover your whole body while working with your bees. This suit includes a full length jumper, a hat with a veil that can be zipped onto the jumper, gloves and boots. To manage the honey combs in the beehives you may need a hive tool.

A beekeeping smoker is also needed to calm the bees. Smoke creates a feeding effect to the bees, which then overfeed themselves making it hard for them to sting. Smoke also masks the smell of alarming venoms produced by the guard bees, avoiding the bees to go wild.

#2 – Prepare your hives. Hives are the homes of your bees, so prepare it thoroughly. These are actually your ‘honey plants’ where the bees store honey in combs. The number of hives to start with will depend on your purpose. You may need only one or two hives if you decide beekeeping for a hobby. But as a small business you may need at least 10 hives to start with.

What you need to set up your hive is a brood chamber which is the place where the queen bee lays eggs and about five frames which are the place where the bee workers build honeycombs to keep their honey. It is good if you buy one or two extra frames just to anticipate the bees swarming.

Place the hives at the right location. This should be a spot with a study ground where people will not obstruct the ‘traffic’ of the bees into the hives to store honey. It should be kept away from matters that might agitate the bees to sting such us vibrations and loud noises.

It would not be necessary to place the hives near pollinating crops since the bees are able to fly miles away to collect nectar and pollen. Remember to face the hive opening to the east or south, so that it could be warmed by the morning sunlight.

#3 – Get your bees. Make sure that you get them from a reputable breeding source. Buy the European bees strain and avoid the African bees which are known to be highly aggressive and are easily agitated. Buy a colony starter that includes a queen, workers and drones.

The main task of a queen is laying eggs as long as she could, while the poor drone has only one thing to do, mating the queen. The queen will then kill the drone as soon after the mating. Other things such us collecting nectar, guarding the hive, cleaning and feeding the larvae is done by the diligent worker bee.

There will be a necessity to replace the queen bee if she dies. A queen can also leave the hive with a swarm and need to be replaced. This swarming could happen 2 – 3 times during summer. You have two options in getting a new queen. Buy one or you can create one by starting a new colony. In the later case you need to take a frame that contains workers and larvae, and then the workers will eventually feed a selected larva with nutrient-rich food to create their new queen.

#4 – Get your bees start working. To get the bees on working you need to feed them with bees supplement in springtime. You can feed them with pollen supplements as well as sugar and water. The objective is to give them strength prior to the blooming of trees and flowers.

Feeding them with sugar and water also allows them to start building up honey in their honeycombs. As soon as they go out of the hives, they will be able to find the way of their routes of pollen within several days.

You should make a frequent check whether your bees are in good shape and well established in their hive. Remember that during the first year of honey production, the bees need the honey for their own requirement. Hence you should harvest only a little amount of honey and leave a sufficient amount as storage for winter.

#5 – Harvest the honey. Very little could be harvested in the first year, but afterward you can start harvesting substantial amount of honey. Harvesting is indeed the best part of beekeeping.

Check all the honey-filled supers and remove them from the hive at any time to get the honey extracted from the combs. Remove the rubbish or dead bees from the honey comb, and then put back empty frames as replacements.

You will be able to sell the honey in two forms; the liquid honey and the pieces of honey comb. The liquid honey is produced by the mean of a centrifuge to extract honey from the honey combs. While the second form is the original honey comb pieces made by the bees. This form provides some enjoyment to some people who are after the natural honey flavor.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier, which I should address to beginners, is to get a handbook or guide or introductory book. This will provide you with the necessary information on how to manage your hive properly prior to purchasing your bee colony. Happy beekeeping!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/5-tips-on-how-to-raise-bees-3293474.html

About the Author

Uno Birawan is a writer and wrote a lot about beekeeping. You can find the full scoop of information on how to raise bees in a Beekeeping Book Review by visiting his site www.TheHoneyBeekeeper.com

 In this beekeeping course I will share some tips on how raising bees in your backyard close to your neighbors, can be done safely. This can be one of the biggest problems for beekeepers. Most people think of bees and all they think of is getting stung, which is understandable. It’s best for you to check with your neighbors and let them know what you are planning to do and also check your local laws to see if there are any restrictions in your area on keeping bees.

TIPS

• Build a Fence- If you live close enough for your neighbors to see your hive, you need to build a fence around the hive so that it can’t be seen. This not only gives some comfort to your neighbor, but the higher the fence will also keep the bees from flying higher and not down at level where people and pets are walking. This will also protect your hives from strong winds. Eventually by not seeing your bee hive your neighbor will forget all about it.

• Sufficient Water- Be sure to keep an good supply of water at the hive so that your bees don’t have to look for hydration at your neighbors kiddie pool. Your water needs to be in shallow pans with gravel in the bottom or something for the bees to perch on. Bees do not hover when they drink, they perch. You can purchase water jar feeders from your local livestock supply stores and there very inexpensive to purchase. Change the water weekly from the feeders, giving your hive fresh water.

• Insure Your Neighbor- Insure your neighbors that everything is under control and that they have nothing to worry about. Bring them over and show them your hive and how gentle your bees actually are. Be kind and don’t forget to give them a jar of honey to help win them over.

 Beekeeping courses such as this will insure that you get along with your neighborhood and that you maintain healthy hives. Happy Beekeeping

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/beekeeping-courses-tips-to-raising-bees-in-your-backyard-3325784.html

About the Author

 For more Beekeeping Courses or information on the art of keeping bees please feel free to visit my blog at http://honeybeekeepingcourse.blogspot.com/

There are certain things that a beekeeper can do when building an apiary that helps to create a hospitable environment for bees. Some of them are obvious. Don’t keep a bug zapper in your garden. Don’t use pesticides either. Both of them kill bees. Another important thing that a new beekeeper should do is discuss his new hobby with his neighbours. Some neighbours will be afraid of the bees and it’s the beekeepers job to explain how important bees are, that bee populations are being decimated, and that bee colonies make safe neighbours.

There are other ways that a beekeeper can take care of bees that will provide the best environment for the bees. For example, a beekeeper should look forward to sunny days when he can visit his hives and do things for the bees that encourage colony health. Happy, healthy bees are going to make the beekeeper’s job easier and much more rewarding. The beekeeper needs to thoughtful about the colonies. He needs to think about what he did for the bees the last time he visited the hive. How have the bees reacted? Does the colony appear healthy?  By going through a hive completely a beekeeper gains knowledge about his colony and about the things he can do to ensure a healthy colony in the future.

A beekeeper should check for flying bees and the general look of the bee population. There should be a laying queen or fresh eggs or both. Are there any signs of disease? It’s wise to check for queen cups and swarm cells. If there appear to be swarm cells the beekeeper can make splits to prevent swarming. The beekeeper should see if the bees have enough nectar. There shouldn’t be so much nectar that honey supers are stuffed. This will cause swarming. The hive should be cleaned up by removing burr comb, odd brood comb, and comb configurations that are erratic. Any old comb, broken frames and broken down hive boxes should be exchanged for new equipment.

In the spring the beekeeper will want to make sure that his hives are getting the most sun that they can get, and preferably, the hives should be in a place that gets sun in the winter too. This saves the job of moving them when the weather gets colder. Is the location of the hives too windy? Are there diseases or pests in the colony?

Later in the summer and into early fall, the beekeeper should make sure that there’s still plenty of room for honey in the hive. He should check again for mites or other pests. If there appear to have been still born larvae, the equipment containing the foul brood (dead larvae) should be removed and bees should be shaken into new equipment that has a new foundation.

In the late fall and winter, make sure that the bees have enough food for the winter. The hive should be cleaned again, removing erratic brood and messy burr comb.

In winter, the beekeeper should check the colonies every few weeks. The bees need to have enough food to make it through the season. It’s also a good time to make sure that the hive is getting lots of sun and that the hive is kept dry during rain or snow.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/creating-your-apiary-4131674.html

About the Author

My name is Nancy Ketner and I have been fascinated by Bees for as long as I can remember. Beekeeping can be a daunting hobby to start. Understanding and creating an apiary you need as a beginner can be difficult. I started Beekeeper Central as a free resource for others who wish to explore Beekeeping as a hobby or small business venture so people can get the most enjoyment they can from Honey Bees. Do come on over to www.beekeepercentral.com to get your FREE mini e-course in Bees and Bee Craft.

What should you do if your beekeeping hobby turns to be a profitable business with increasing demands for your quality honey? There are two options, you just stay where you are and enjoy your hobby as a great activity, or you can think of something on how to expand your business. As you have done beekeeping for quite a long time, and you see that there are increasing demands with remarkable profits why not expanding your business? It is really a great opportunity to strive for.

You probably may ask yourself why think of an expansion plan, while you do not have enough space to put more beehives to look after additional bees. Or you probably do not find enough flowers or gardens in your neighborhood where your bees can get additional nectar. Or is there something else that holds you, may be your neighbors or your beekeeping license? Well, there are plenty of reasons that will lead you to a “status quo” situation. But here are some ideas that you might consider.

There are some beekeeping practices that have been applied till this moment, which is to rent a piece of land where you can use it as a bee yard or an apiary. An apiary is a place where you can put your beehives as many as you wish according to your plan. You can even pay the rent with some amount of honey that is produced in this apiary. In some instances a honey beekeeper can get paid by the farmer since they need the bees very badly to facilitate pollination.

You can work together with farmers who usually need the presence of bees to pollinate their crops. There are farmers who are willing to lend their land for free to beekeepers for the sake of bee pollination. You can make a long term deal with such farmer, and manage your beehives accordingly to the crop growing cycle. This looks like a good mutual benefit for you as a honey beekeeper and the farmer who needs the help of your honey bees, isn’t it?

Now, let us move forwards and see how to choose a good site for your apiary. A good apiary should meet the following requirement:

Nearness to nectar sources. It should be definitely near a flowering field or crop. Bees are able to look for nectar within a distance of 3 km from their hives, but if they do not find any good stuff they are willing to travel up to 12 km in search for good nectar. If you place it too far, they might move and find another spot closer to the source, and your hives will be empty.

Temperature. Consider a place where the maximum temperature, especially during summer, isn’t extremely hot, since this may melt the bee wax inside the hive. If the bee wax melts, the bees are going to spend more time to cooling the wax by collecting more water than nectar. Please bear in mind that the melting point of bee wax is around 110ºF or 45ºC. High temperature tends to disturb the bees and get angry more easily.

Security of your beehives. Watch out for honey eating animals like the honey badger or ratel. If there are badgers in your place you should provide some extra protection by strapping your hive together using a strong baggage strap. You should also be aware of human thieves and provide the necessary protection.

Protection of passing people. If in case you have some traffic of passing people close to your apiary, it is best if you could place a high board fence with a minimum height of 6 feet. This is to avoid the bees to straightly attack passing people when flying out the hives, since they are forced to fly high above the fence and over the head of a passer.

To avoid somebody get hurt by your bees, make sure that any people, especially children, will not accidentally enter your apiary by posting some signs of precautions.

Avoid windy places. Wind will encourage the bees to leave the hive and look for a better place. Beside that, the bees will create some blockage at the entrance using propolis and leaving some holes to maintain access. This narrow entrance will for sure slow down the bees activities. Another thing is that the bees will become less productive, since they will be spending more time on making the propolis rather than honey.

If you are serious to expand your beekeeping business, managing an apiary for honey beekeeping is a strategy to be considered. And time will come that you arrive at a point where you need to hire other people to help you in developing a successful business.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/apiaries-honey-beekeeping-a-strategy-for-business-expansion-3486911.html

About the Author

Uno Birawan is a writer and wrote a lot about beekeeping. You can find the information on Beekeeping Business by visiting his site www.TheHoneyBeekeeper.com

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.

If you are considering starting a beehive the first thing you should do is call your local Cooperative Extension office. They will be able to tell you if you live in an area that restricts keeping bees. They will also be able to give you the contact information of your states beekeeping organization where you can become a registered beekeeper.

The next thing you need to do is select a site for your potential honey bee hive.

Once you have selected a site for your beehive you will need to go about acquiring the equipment needed to successfully maintain a beehive. Some of the equipment you will need can be purchased used on EBay. If you are unable to find the equipment you need on EBay there are several on-line sites where you can purchase equipment. If you need further assistance finding and purchasing a beehive and other beekeeping equipment call your local Cooperative Extension office or the Federation of American Beekeepers.

Before acquiring bees for your hive it’s important to make sure that you are properly protected, this means you have to purchase beekeepers gear.

Once your hive is in place and you are confident that everything is in working order it’s time to order your honey bees. The easiest way is to order Honey Bees from an established Apiary. You should plan on placing you bee order early in the winter, the average beekeeper orders their bees in January and February. The order is typically shipped in March and April. Most Apiary’s ship their bees through the U.S. postal service. When the bees arrive at the post office your mail carrier will call and ask that you pick up the bees. Very few mail carriers are comfortable driving all over the county with a car full of young angry bees in their car and most bees are healthier if they don’t have to spend several hours in a hot car.

When you pick up your bees they should have been packaged in a special carrying case that is designed just for bees. This package will be a wooden framed “house” that has a screen covering the outside. This packaging allows air to circulate to the traveling bees and keeps handlers, such as post office employees, from getting stung.

When you get your bees, do not be surprised if you see a few dead bees laying in the bottom of the package. Traveling is hard on bees and they can’t all be expected to live through the trip. The rest of the bees should be clutching the sides of the container.

You will notice that one bee in the container has been separated from the rest of the hive.This is your queen bee. The rest of the bees in the container will make up the rest of your bee hives hierarchy. Some Apiaries ship the queen with a couple of nurse bees. The top of the queen’s container will be covered with piece of sugar candy.

You should also see a container that is filled with a sugar solution. This sugar solution is what the bees feed on while they are traveling. Once you get your bees home offer them something to drink. You do this by taking a spray bottle and covering the container with a very fine covering of water.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-collect-bees–797423.html

About the Author

To read about bee life cycle and bee hive removal, visit the Bee Facts site.