A beehive is the bees' sanctuary. This is where they keep their larvae and process and store their food. Colonies of bees produce and store honey here. An apiary is a collection of beehives cared for by apiarists.
You must have enough knowledge in caring for bees, how they are fed and the risks involved. If you are new to beekeeping, you can start by creating your own artificial beehive. At least two beehives will do for beginners. This lets you interchange the frames when one colony gets weaker than the other. Your local Beekeepers Association will be able to help you find courses for beekeeping beginners.
Make sure to set them up in a shady place, discrete and not so windy. Don't put them in public places and make sure the area is not damp. Once you have set up the bee hives, all you need to do is to attract the bees and get them to populate your hives.
Swarming is a way of propagation for the bees. It is important to note that bees grow and populate normally during spring time. Before the colony begins to grow in number, bees produce queen cells for the birth of a new queen. The old queen leaves with the swarm so it is vital for them to create another to have a new colony. The queen should be replaced every other year. There are also what is called mail-order queens for annual re-queening. This is done by killing the old queen bee. The colony is left without a queen for about 24 hours before introducing them to a new queen.
You could also use a nucleus or a nuc to populate your hives. A nucleus is a small hive where you transport bees with honey on two frames. Make sure to do this when worker bees are busy collecting nectar. Usually this happens during the middle of the day at around 10 am to 2 pm. This helps the new colony accept their new queen bee.
To hive a swarm of bees yourself, it is best to use a device called a smoker to drive them towards the hive. It also helps not to have the bees sting you. The smoker fuel is usually a small amount of paper or wood. It helps to keep them attracted by a jar of honey or if not available, sugar syrup. Once the bees are close enough, brush them into the hive until every bee follows and swarms the hive. Sometimes, it becomes difficult because there are times when the queen bee can be hard to capture or the new queen bee does not accept the hive.
Some colonies may need supplemental feeding and medication. It is best to give it during January through February. Prevent congestion of the beehives by putting the top beehive on the bottom. If there is congestion and swarming, it may weaken the colonies' strength. Proper care and adequate knowledge is needed in setting up an apiary and swarming it with bees. There are a few risks, but the idea of harvesting your own honey always pays it off.
You must have enough knowledge in caring for bees, how they are fed and the risks involved. If you are new to beekeeping, you can start by creating your own artificial beehive. At least two beehives will do for beginners. This lets you interchange the frames when one colony gets weaker than the other. Your local Beekeepers Association will be able to help you find courses for beekeeping beginners.
Make sure to set them up in a shady place, discrete and not so windy. Don't put them in public places and make sure the area is not damp. Once you have set up the bee hives, all you need to do is to attract the bees and get them to populate your hives.
Swarming is a way of propagation for the bees. It is important to note that bees grow and populate normally during spring time. Before the colony begins to grow in number, bees produce queen cells for the birth of a new queen. The old queen leaves with the swarm so it is vital for them to create another to have a new colony. The queen should be replaced every other year. There are also what is called mail-order queens for annual re-queening. This is done by killing the old queen bee. The colony is left without a queen for about 24 hours before introducing them to a new queen.
You could also use a nucleus or a nuc to populate your hives. A nucleus is a small hive where you transport bees with honey on two frames. Make sure to do this when worker bees are busy collecting nectar. Usually this happens during the middle of the day at around 10 am to 2 pm. This helps the new colony accept their new queen bee.
To hive a swarm of bees yourself, it is best to use a device called a smoker to drive them towards the hive. It also helps not to have the bees sting you. The smoker fuel is usually a small amount of paper or wood. It helps to keep them attracted by a jar of honey or if not available, sugar syrup. Once the bees are close enough, brush them into the hive until every bee follows and swarms the hive. Sometimes, it becomes difficult because there are times when the queen bee can be hard to capture or the new queen bee does not accept the hive.
Some colonies may need supplemental feeding and medication. It is best to give it during January through February. Prevent congestion of the beehives by putting the top beehive on the bottom. If there is congestion and swarming, it may weaken the colonies' strength. Proper care and adequate knowledge is needed in setting up an apiary and swarming it with bees. There are a few risks, but the idea of harvesting your own honey always pays it off.
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