Beekeeping Information Before You Get Started
Beekeeping requires certain skills; not all people who want to take care of bees are able to do it right. It is not enough that you have read books about beekeeping. You may have acquired some information, but this information may not be sufficient for you to enter the beekeeping industry.You may need books and advice from the experts on beekeeping to get the beekeeping information that may help you with your plan of starting to become a beekeeper. A better beekeeper would know that before buying any equipment, most especially if it’s from another beekeeper, the equipment should be examined by an expert first.Reading books should be able to guide you in distinguishing which among the bees is the Queen, which are the drones; and of course, a beekeeper should be able to tell apart the workers. Basic knowledge on setting up the beehives can be gained through book reading. Beekeeping information is important before finally giving it a go.Beekeeping All-Year RoundSufficient knowledge or beekeeping information is needed because there are different weather conditions that may affect beekeeping. A beekeeper should be able to adjust in any weather condition or whatever the season is.In winter, if the bees are placed outside, there is actually not much you can do to assist the bees’ situation. There is no need to worry, because even if their hive is covered with snow for a while, the bees can still survive. However, if the bees are indoors, make sure that the temperature is low and consistent. Maintain a 5 degrees C temperature for the bees, and there should be proper ventilation in their hives. If the bees leave their hives and die during this season, that is actually a normal occurrence.In springtime, the beekeeper should make sure to check the situation of the bees. Make sure that the queen bee is still laying eggs and look for any signs of illnesses among the bees. The beekeeper should make sure that there is still enough supply of nectar that will last until the next pollination. The bee colony should also be given medication every two weeks to make sure that no diseases will penetrate the bee colony. A new super should be added when the bees have covered seven of the top supers also. By the 10th of June, medical treatment should be stopped; this is to ensure that the bees are no longer under medication by the time of the first crop.By summertime, when the month of July is approaching, there should be extra super of white frames to be placed in the colony. The purpose of the white frames is to hold the honey in the beehive. To keep the bees from working, there should be enough frames to hold the honey. When all frames are filled and then one-half of the cells are capped with wax, it is time to extract the honey.During fall, if the honey supers have been removed, the bees will have the tendency to die. Start medicating the colony during this time; feed the bees with sugar and water; make sure that the bees have sufficient supply until the winter. Feeding of the colony must be done by end of September; and by October, the weight of the two supers, the honey, pollen and the bees should be at least 125 pounds. Before winter time finally sets in again, the bees should be moved indoors or if not, the hive should be wrapped to protect them during winter.
