Bee Hive Keeping How To
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Much of beekeeping is simple observation and response. If you are a novice beekeeper, inspect the hive about once a week for a couple of months so that you can learn. Once you feel comfortable, adjust your routine to every two weeks. Make sure the outside of the hive is clean and free of bee poop, the landing board is free of litter, and there are no ants on the hive. Open the hives and check frames for larvae and eggs (on warm days only). If the queen is healthy, you will see plenty of larvae in various stages of development.
Varroa mites are the pest most typically found in hives. Left unchecked, they can cripple and eventually kill the hive (see Pest Control, below, for hints about checking for mites and mite control). Other pests you need to watch for include the small hive beetle and the wax moth. Diseases you need to be on the lookout for are American and European foulbrood. Early intervention can often mean the difference between a healthy hive and a dead hive.
Start with one deep hive body-brood box. When the bees have filled it with 7 or 8 frames of bees and brood, top it with a second brood box. Let the bees build up brood cells in the second brood box, too. When the second brood box is well filled (7 or 8 frames of bees), top it with a queen excluder, if you choose to use one, and, finally, the honey super (the box from which you will collect most of your honey).
The most damaging pests a beekeeper has to deal with are these mites, as they threaten the survival of a hive once they become established. They suck the blood of adult bees and lay their eggs in brood cells, where their larvae feed off bee babies, infecting them with viruses and weakening and even killing them. To save their bees, beekeepers use a variety of methods:
The powdered sugar method lets you both count the mites and control them. Sift powdered sugar, 1 cup per brood box, over the tops of the frames and brush it into the hive. The powdered sugar makes the mites lose their grip on the bees and fall off; plus the bees groom the sugar off their bodies, dislodging more mites. Again, use the bottom board to capture the fallen mites. You should not see more than a few mites 10 minutes after dusting. If there are more, you have a problem.
We were lucky to collect honey the first summer. Typically, during the first year the bees build up their hive, and if they overwinter well, you can begin harvesting in the late spring or early summer of the second year. Three months after bringing our bees home, we had 4 frames packed with honey, each weighing about 8 pounds. Lacking a professional extractor, we used the following low-tech method.
Anecdotal evidence in online forums (and my own experience) indicates that a high percentage of beginning beekeepers quit after a year or two.Higher than anticipated costs (in dollars and time), hive mortality problems, failure to understand the work required, and unrealistic expectations are issues that cause beginners to give up early. Start beekeeping with some basic education and advanced preparation for a better beginning beekeeping experience.This article outlines and centralizes all the information you need to implement these 11 action steps on how to start beekeeping:Begin your beekeeping education and learn some basics.Find a suitable beehive location.Figure out your budget.Order your honey bees.Choose a hive type and order it.Buy basic beekeeping tools.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'beekeepingfornewbies_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_4',320,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-beekeepingfornewbies_com-medrectangle-3-0');Get protective clothing.Set up your hive(s) and,Install your bees!Continue your beekeeping education. Manage your colonies to get them to next spring.You do not need to be an expert to get started, but you do need to account for timing issues related to acquiring and setting up equipment and, of course, getting your first bees.This article is our guide to beekeeping for beginners. Related articles cover each step in how to be a beekeeper.
We keep three hives going, though it has become difficult to keep the bees alive and healthy. We love the honey and I use it every day, in one delicious form or another. We lost all of our bees this winter, so my husband Bryan and our little Mack recently installed new packages of bees into our hives.
A hive of honeybees on a homestead is valuable thing these days. Not only do honeybees produce the sweet miracle that is raw honey, they also do a beautiful job of pollinating berry bushes, orchards, flowers, and vegetable gardens, and (this last reason appeals to me more and more) they do it all without much help from us.
Amy Young Miller keeps a small orchard, a large garden, lots of chickens, a few smart-alec children, some berry brambles, lots of flowers, and three hives of honeybees, on a few windy acres in Nebraska. She writes about her adventures at , and you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Beekeeping is so interesting. Even after loosing all three of our hives due to the weather, we looked forward to getting a package of bee to begin again. We feel a bit addicted to having raw honey available at all times.Sitting and watching the bees come and go is a great way to relax too.
Hi Amy,We have had bees for several years now and have been catching local swarms. In fact, one our hives just swarmed today, and moved right into the hive next to it that had been abandoned over the winter. We had 6 healthy hives, and this winter 4 of them disappeared, no dead bees anywhere, just empty hives (except for the honey they left behind). Then this spring one of the remaining 2 died. But like I said, the one that was left swarmed today. Do you know why bees would leave in the winter Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Christina, I can understand that fear! But I can assure you that if you educate yourself on when to work with the bees and when to leave them alone (believe it or not, they are grumpier on windy or dark days), and wear the appropriate bee gear (bee veil and long-sleeved jacket and leather gloves) the chances of your getting stung are pretty remote. The last time I was stung was probably 20 years ago: I went into the backyard one day and walked right in front of the beehives, very close to them (a no-no) and I had hairspray on (also a no-no) and I had a couple of bees sting me on the head. But it is very rare for beekeepers to get stung, because they know how to work with the bees.
Thanks for the info on bees. Any suggestions for my situation are most appreciated. We have bees in our walls. When we bought our old farmhouse last October, we found a hive buzzing between the siding and the inside walls. The previous owners said the hive has been there for a long time. The hive is going strong this spring, but we are having new siding installed in a few weeks.
Almost anyone can master the skills necessary to be a good beekeeper. Your journey to successful beekeeping begins with preparation. You should learn all that you can about bee hive management before your bees arrive.
Hi, great article! I am new to the bee world and am thinking this would be a great hobby for myself. I have nothing so far I'm in the research part yet. My question is my neighbors up the hill have 5 hives. I am below the hill (say 1 block distance from neighbors hives). I have 6 acres is this to close to start my own hives My hives would be on the farthest part of my property away from neighbors hives. So about 2 to 2.5 blocks away from neighbors hives.
So, I've got a decent bee colony thats been visiting my garden for gosh, maybe 8yrs now. I actually havent found the hive after all these years, so I'm not sure if they're an actual umm.. 'owned' hive or just a naturally occurring wild hive but I've always been curious and interested in beekeeping and helping bees in general. But, I dont want to hurt the established hive, and living rurally where I do in 'horse country' Colorado where theres not a massive amount of flowering plants whether it might do more harm than good to start keeping or even empty boxing my 6 acres.So my question is really just a question of, general, should I or shouldnt I introduce or even empty box some of my acres I mean, this hive, or what I assume is essentially the generations of the same hive have been pretty successful living off what I provide. I'd hate to introduce 'my hive\" they drive off the others, and being completely novice mine fail and now, I dont have a wild hive or what I assume is, nor my own.
The application period for the Beehive Distribution Program (Program) is closed. Applications for the Program are not being accepted at this time. VDACS staff are reviewing applications submitted during the 2022 application period. Recipients of beehive units will be randomly selected from the qualifying applications submitted during the application period. Individuals selected to receive beehive units will be notified prior to the anticipated shipping date of the equipment.
It is important to purchase clean hives and equipment to avoid disease. If you are new to beekeeping, the Little Giant 10-Frame Deluxe Beginner Hive Kit will set you up with everything you need to keep your bees secure, healthy, and happy!
Cleaning your equipment regularly can prevent pests and disease from taking over your hive. Make sure to clean smokers, hive tools, and other apiary equipment of any accumulations of wax, propolis, or honey before starting a new hive.
When your busy bees have filled up the frames with bees and brood, it is time to expand your hive! You can simply add the Little Giant 1-Frame Medium or Deep Box Super right on top of your current hive. 59ce067264