The First Things You Need to Know About Beekeeping

Beekeeping is a structured process in order to gather honey. 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 before being able to utilize what beekeeping has to offer, one does need to take in as much beekeeping information as possible.

Making sure that you have in your possession the proper equipment is the first step to success in beekeeping. The base components of the hive is the first thing any beekeeper will need to consider, as the hive itself is the key to your hobby and your business. Beekeepers can begin their business by purchasing "package" bees which is a quantity of adult bees, usually between 2 to 5 pounds (1 to 2 kilograms), purchasing an established colony or by collecting swarms themselves. But for beginners, I'd suggest starting with package bees. The items that are mandatory for beekeeping is the protective gear. This includes the beekeeping suit, gloves, the hat and the veil. Smokers are also very important. These control the bees making working with a hive and the colony possible. What smokers do is discharge smoke throughout the hive that provokes a state of self preservation in the bees, as they believe a fire is taking place and that they need to leave it. 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 very sociable and resides in hives, as a colony can house thousands upon thousands of bees. Every bee contributes to the colony by helping to build the nest, find food sources and by raising the newly born bees. The inherent docile nature of honey bees allows beekeepers to collect honey for themselves and also to sell for a profit. Leaving the honey in the hive for extended periods is not advised and regularly removing the honey is a challenge for all beekeepers. Honey left in a hive too long will be darker in color and the bees will have a reduced amount of room to store new honey. The darker color doesn't affect the quality or flavor but most people associate honey with a lighter color. On the other hand, it's extremely important to not extract the honey too soon. No beekeeper wants their honey to spoil or begin the fermentation process. This is what could happen if the honey is harvested early as honey contains quite a lot of water as it matures. The bees !

themselves will let you know that the honey is ready to collect. If the honey cells are covered by wax caps then it's time to begin harvesting. The recommended time for harvesting is on a sunny day or when the bees are foraging for food. Aim for the morning as bees are usually active at this time.

Before you even purchase your hive and bees though, it's important to find out if beekeeping is even permitted in your locality. There are certain benefits for bees to be introduced though. Bees do have a docile disposition compared to the aggressive nature of wasps or hornets. If bees are the predominant insect in a particular area, then it's less likely that wasps or hornets will want to co-inhabit with them. Bees do have stingers though, so provided you keep your hive in a place that's not close to other houses or directly opposite a school or a park (or any recreational area for that matter) then you should have no issues.