Beekeeping is a regulated process of raising bees so that honey can be collected. There is a long history behind the keeping of bees and it's not merely a pleasing hobby to indulge in. It can also be a profitable business. But to truly see how much one can gain from this rewarding hobby, some lessons in beekeeping must first be taken.
Making sure that you have in your possession the proper equipment is the first step to success in beekeeping. The hive is the backbone of your beekeeping operation so the components of your hive are the most important things to consider. You can start your beekeeping business by buying what is known as "package bees", which is a certain amount of adult bees typically between 2 and 5 pounds (1 and 2 kilograms). Or you can buy an established colony or even collect the swarms yourself. It's certainly the advised recommendation for beginners to start off with the package bees. Also necessary for a beekeeper is the protective gear such as a beekeeping suit, gloves, and a hat and veil. Smokers are also very important. These control the bees making working with a hive and the colony possible. Smokers are a device that emits smoke which then prompts the bees to prepare to vacate the hive due to threat of a possible fire. Smokers have a secondary function - masking the pheromone released into the hive by the guard bees when they think there is danger around.
The honey bee is quite a social insect and lives in hives because a colony can be home to thousands of bees. By contributing together, the bees in the the colony all look for food, raise newborn bees and assemble the nest. Beekeepers can take advantage of the natural inclinations of the honey bee to collect honey that can be used for themselves or sold for a profit. One challenge that beekeepers face is the extraction of honey from the hive. It's actually very important to not leave it in the hive for too long. If left for too long, honey takes on a darker color and the bees will have no room for accumulating more honey. Most people have the impression that all honey is light in color, so although a darker honey is not of inferior quality, some may believe it is based purely on ignorance. On the other hand, it's extremely important to not extract the honey too soon. While honey matures it contains a good amount of water, and if harvested too soon, the honey could spoil or ferment. When the honey is ready to collect, the bees will let you know. When it's noticed that there are wax caps covering the honey cells, it's a sure sign to harvest. The best time to collect the honey is on a sunny day when the majority of the bees are active and out looking for food. The morning is usually a good time for this.
Before you even think about purchasing your bees, you need to ensure that your local government or council actually permits beekeeping in your area. There are advantages to introducing bees though. In comparison to the hornet or the wasp, bees are very calm. If bees inhabit an area, then the possibility of hornets or wasps also inhabiting this area are very low. Although bees are armed with a stinger, if you make sure your hive is positioned safely (meaning not near to schools, parks or other recreational areas) then you should expect very few issues.