Beekeeping For Beginners
Beekeeping For Beginners - Getting Started in Beekeeping

If you are considering bees as a hobby or as a supplementarybusiness, there are things you will want to keep in mind before making that decision. It can be a very lucrative business keeping honeybees but at first it should be viewed purely as a hobby.

Money should be a consideration when entering the hobby of beekeeping. Before investing any amount of money in your beekeeping project, you might want contact beekeepers in your area. You might also visit us here Beekeeping For Beginners for the latest info and resources

Generally speaking other beekeepers will love to talk with you about their hobby. All beekeeper love bees and to them it is just a "hobby", you will get a great fresh approach from them but listen carefully and take notes. More likely than not you will need them.

If you decide to become a beekeeper, you will want to consider the safety of family, friends, and neighbors. People can have dangerous allergic reactions to bee stings and you dont want that to happen.

The best course of action on that account is to ask your neighbors and friends, are they are allergic to bees. You will find that a lot of neighbors dont want bees near to their property as well.

Also run this by your local authority. Check to see if their are any laws regarding beekeeping.

You will also want to consider whether or not you have a location that would be conducive to maintaining bees. You will also want to consider where the bees will have to fly to retrieve nectar and pollen.
Water is needed daily by the bees so have a lot nearby for them so they dont need to stray too far for the hives. Bugging your neighbors for a drink is the last thing you want.

Here is a list of spots unacceptable to the health of the bees.

How often during the year will you bees have access to nectar and pollen?

The bees need to be self sufficient as far as food goes but if not how often will you need to provide them with food?

Bees need water daily so make sure you place your hives near a supply.

Try to make sure the bees flightpath isn't over many parked vehicles.. The bees will defecate as they are flying and their feces will leave spots on everything below them.

The feces can even ruin the surface of a vehicle. There are methods to use to force the bees to fly at a higher altitude, such as.a tall fence or thick tall plants near the hive.

You want the hives accessible year round.

Try to have your hives on an elevated piece of land to keep the surrounding air temperature higher and thus stop dampness.

You will also want to avoid high spots for your hives because that would be too windy.

During a nectar flow, many of the older workers will be in the field hunting for food. This is the best time to examine the colony. During the summer more bees will be in the hive and the situation can change, especially between the nectar flows. There can be some robbing going on at this time, which will make the bees even more defensive at any intrusion to their hive. Leaving the colony open for more than a few minutes can accelerate a robbing as can leaving cappings or honey exposed. It will become a necessity to reduce the entrance of a weak colony to prevent stronger hives attempt to rob from it. A honey flow will reduce the likelihood of robbing.

The mood of the bees can have a lot to do with the weather or the time of day. On the days of rainy weather, cool temperatures, early in the morning or late in the afternoon will be more likely to make them angry and they will attack. Always inspect them on warm, sunny days in the middle of the day when most of the bees are foraging.

Keep a constant warm water supply for the bees to cool the hive and dilute honey to feed t heir young. They will collect water from the closest water source. If you do not have a constant supply of shallow water for the bees, they will look for it somewhere else, like the neighbor's pool, birdbath or wading ponds. The bees are more likely to drown in those sources. If you have a water supply for them when they first fly out in spring, they will not go anywhere else for water. Once they find a water source, it is hard to keep them from going back to it.

These are just some of the things you will want to consider before taking on this thoroughly rewarding hobby.

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