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Beekeeping requires Human Interaction
Before you venture down the path to beekeeping, whether it is as a hobby or as a business, you must understand that you will have to interact in the lives of these bees. Why? You are taking a bee from its natural environment and bringing it into a controlled environment where you are in control. Therefore, you must be willing to become a part of their lives.
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 as 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.
Keeping bees as a hobby does not have to cost you a lot of money, does not require a lot of your time, and does not require a lot of space. However, if you intend on getting a good supply of honey, you will need a large backyard where flowers are blooming not farther than a two mile radius from where you will keep the hives.
Beekeeping truly is a fascinating hobby. Not only can you learn something new each day, but you get to enjoy some tasty honey.
Beekeeping as a 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.
Bees will collect nectar from flowers. This nectar will turn into beeswax or honey. The conversion of beeswax is important to a bee colony because it is used to make the combs, where the bees are raised, and where they store pollen and the surplus for the winter. Beeswax can be used to make candles and cosmetics.
The young worker bees produce a substance from their hypopharyngeal glands. This substance is called royal jelly and is used as a dietary supplement to increase energy stamina and vitality. Bees collect propolis, a resinous mixture, from tree buds or sap flows. They use it to fill small open spaces in their hives. They use beeswax to fill larger open spaces. Amazingly, this substance is also used in alternative medicine, homeopathy, and acupuncture. Beekeeping as a business can be quite profitable, as well as rewarding because of all the different ways you can help people.
The 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
- Inspect your hives
- Keep the bee hives healthy
- Maintain hives
- Handle pests
- Harvest honey
If you intend on selling honey, then you will also package 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.
- Use new equipment rather than a used. Used equipment can pose a risk for pathogen contamination or spreading of disease. This includes the hives, smokers, secateurs, sack, gloves, and veil.
- 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 bee veils at all times to protect your face and neck. Use leather gloves or thick gloves to protect from bee stings.
- Provide water in a dish near the apiary.
- If there is a scarcity in nectar, you can give them sugar syrup.
- Prevent overcrowding in the bee hive. If you need to, divide the colony.
Beekeeping can be an exciting experience. If you are prepared and responsible, beekeeping can be a fun hobby or profitable business for many years to come.
