How to Raise Honey Bees | How To Start Beekeeping | Beekeeping Tips

Honey bees (or honeybees) are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis. Currently, there are only seven recognized species of honey bee with a total of 44 subspecies (Engel, 1999) though historically, anywhere from six to eleven species have been recognized. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the approximately 20,000 known species of bees. Some other types of related bees produce and store honey, but only members of the genus Apis are true honey bees.

It seems fairly obvious that honeybees would be more actively gathering nectar and pollen during the spring and summer, but what happens to our little friends during the "off season"?

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It seems that honeybees go into a separate mode during winter. Since the drones have no useful function in winter, they are expelled - they get the bee-boot. The remaining colony inhabitants survive by feeding off the left over honey. That is the honey that is left in the hive by the friendly beekeepers for just that purpose. So it would behoove you, beginning beekeeper, to leave some of that precious honey so that you will have a "crew" to start collecting again when the weather warms up.

To keep warm, the honeybees cluster together. They continue to rotate from the center to the outer regions so none of them are always in the coldest places. Workers will consume honey and generate extra heat by exercising their flight muscles, thus raising their body heat - a natural heater.

Once spring rolls around, the hive flies into normal action again. It is during the spring that "swarming" happens. If a colony is overcrowded, the old queen will take half of the workers and "take off" for another location. They may temporarily attach themselves to a protrusion such as a tree limb or a light pole while scouts locate a new home to take up residence. Once that new home is found they begin the process of creating the wax comb to produce new offspring who will be workers and drones.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, er.. hive, new queens are hatched who will fight until only one queen is left. This single queen will begin laying eggs.

As a beekeeper, you will add extra boxes to your artificial hive so that the bees do not swarm. They will have extra room to expand. You eventually separate or split your hive. At that point you can choose to continue expansion or enter the sales market, selling your extras to other beekeepers.

Just a note about the "business" of beekeeping. The methods of harvesting honey in America have improving so much that it is estimated that the beekeepers in our country alone have the potential to supply the entire worldwide demand for honey and honey-based products. The beauty industry uses large amounts of honey in its organic and hypo-allergenic skin products. And, of course, restaurants have always used honey in preparation of menu items. So there is a demand for honey if you are interested in selling the raw honey you produce.

Other than honey, royal jelly and beeswax are beekeeping products which can generate a useful income for you. Damaged wax cappings and combs can be melted down and reused in your own hive or sold to people who use wax to manufacture foundation cream, polishes, cosmetics, candles and ornamental plaques.

• Honey is nonirritating to the lining of the digestive tract
• Honey is easily and rapidly assimilated
• Honey quickly furnishes the demand for energy
• Honey enables athletes to recuperate rapidly from exertion
• Honey is, of all sugars, handled best by the kidneys
• Honey has a natural and gentle laxative effect
• Honey has sedative value, quieting the body
• Honey will relieve an annoying cough (when mixed with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)
• Honey will relieve the pain from a burn and promote healing of the burned area
• Chewing of capped honeycomb has been known to relieve sinus problems including seasonal hay fever

And here is something to chew on (pun intended). While there is no scientific proof, those in the bee industry are fairly certain that eating honey from your local area may cut down on your seasonal allergies. That is because the honey has bits of pollen in it that activate your immune system just like the allergy shots you get at the doctor's office... only this is ALL NATURAL! It's definitely worth a try, right? A teaspoon or two a day is all you need.

(Thanks to my new friend Mike Elliot at WildwoodForestHoney.com for this great information.)

Two bee colonies are the ideal number for a beginning beekeeper, according to the University of Missouri Agricultural Extension. Once you have some experience and confidence, you can add to your hives. Keep in mind that a single hive will produce 50 to 100 pounds of honey each year.

Start right; build at least one hive from scratch. Assembling new hives is important for the beginner. If you are handy with wood, you'll find it easy to build hive boxes and supers (compartments added to a hive for storing frames, which support the honeycomb). You can order all parts ready to put together. The lumber with which to build boxes and frames will cost as much as the milled product.

Plan for the coming season. Order your bees, hives and equipment well in advance, during the fall. Assemble the equipment during the winter to prepare for the bees, which will arrive during April.

Place your hives on the site you have selected for beginning beekeeping hobby so you're ready when your bees arrive. One of the most helpful things you can do to advance your knowledge is to join a local beekeeping association. Also join the state association and attend the spring and fall meetings for extra information about beekeeping tips and tricks. For additional reference, there are many good resource books on apiculture (beekeeping and honeybee behaviors) - see below.

If you want to learn how to start beekeeping, and you are not too adventurous, you can purchase your first colony from a bee supplier. Make sure you check the credentials of the source. You don't want an unhealthy batch of bees. You will generally get a queen and a few hundred worker bees.

The alternative is to find your own "swarm" of bees. Swarming happens when a new queen is born into the hive and the old queen takes off with a few thousand of her loyal workers. They will congregate together, usually around a tree branch, until a suitable place is found by some scout bees that are sent out for such a purpose.

What you will do is don your protective gear and put a large box under the swarm. Then you either shake the branch loose or cut it loose so that the bees fall into your box. You then turn the box over and wait for the return of the scouting group. Leave room for them to rejoin their friends by propping the box up a bit.

Once all your bees are together, carry your box 'o bees to where you have set up your hive and gently dump them out on a white sheet that has been laid out so that the bees can climb up to the hive, because that is exactly what they will do. Voila, you have your first hive.

Beekeeping is not a passive activity. There are things you must do. You must manage the hive in a way that maximizes honey production. No-one should start keeping bees before learning the basics. You can get valuable information from experienced beekeepers and books about bees and beekeeping. If there is a local beekeepers' society, that is a great place interact with others who share your interest and passion.

The beekeeper should inspect the hives on a regular schedule. Check to make sure that the queen is doing her job of producing eggs, and that the worker bees are happily collecting nectar and pollen. He also looks for signs of disease and obvious distress among the bees. These are issues that will hamper productivity. If things are not as they should be, it is possible to replace the queen in order to bring the hive back into its desired content state.

Beginning in the Spring, the beekeeper should check for new queen cells and destroy them in order to prevent a new queen emerging. The new queen will take over the hive, and the old one will leave, taking loyal worker followers and as much honey as they can carry. This is known as swarming.

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How to Start Beekeeping Quickly

Most equipment and supplies can be purchased cheaply (perhaps used) through special bee suppliers. If you have an area beekeeping association, you can get information about local suppliers from them. A minimum of equipment is needed for operating one or two hives. Here's what you will need to get started:

• Bees (did I really need to mention this?)
• A hive or two (see the links below for this)
• A hive tool for opening and inspecting the hive
• Some form of protective clothing for yourself
• A smoke box. Smoke has a calming effect on bees and a light puff of smoke at the entrance hole calms the bees and makes inspecting easier.

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