Beekeeping is often referred to like something very difficult and complicated. But, that is definitely not the case. It just requires some basic equipment, space and patience. These small, but greatly industrious creatures amaze us with their hard work. So, even the smallest contribution from us makes a great difference to their work. You should not hesitate and start beekeeping right away!
Additionally, beekeeping is a seasonal hobby. The time you will spend on it depends and varies with the season. For example, during the winter you will not have much to do. You may just need to check for physical damages or input some additional food for the bees. The biggest work will be during the spring and early summer. During these seasons you will need to check your hives weekly, and you will need to check each and every hive you got. You will see that you will enjoy every second of it! The bees are magically beautiful! And once you get the hang of it, you will do everything even faster and you will be able to handle even more hives.
What do I need to start beekeeping?
The basic equipment that you need is a hive (with an open mesh floor and slide out tray), some tools that are complementary to the hive, protective clothes and a source of bees. The equipment of the beekeeper is quite simple but very effective and necessary. It consists of a white bee suit and a veil, gloves, boots, hive tool, queen making cage and pen, a smoker, a feeder and a porter bee escape. The hive, on the other hand, consists of a roof, three or more honey super boxes, crown board, queen excluder, brood box and floor.
Regarding the bees, you can get them from many sources. Firstly and this is most commonly the case, you can get them from another beekeeper. Also, you can get the bees from a swarm or some local association.
When you find the space where you will keep your hives, you shouldn’t move them immediately and dramatically. The best thing to do is not to move them at all, but if you really need to do that, then move them three feet every day. This is because bees are orienting with the hives. Another thing to do is to move them really far away (for about 5km) and let them stay there for a few days. After that, you can bring them to the location that you wanted to move them to. But, we should note, that this is useful and possible only if you have a small number of hives. Otherwise, it is not really convenient. If you want to read more about setting up your fist colony read more here: How To Set Up A Bee Colony
We really hope that we have helped you in your decision whether to start beekeeping. If you want to become a beekeeper, or you already are one, note that you will find fascinating and helpful information on our website!
Become a beekeeper and Bee Happy!
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