BeeKeeping For Beginners

Beekeeping for Beginners Questions ~ What do Bees Do In Winter?

Jackie — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:08:55 +0000

Honey Bees stop flying when the temperature drops down into the 50s (F). They stay inside their hive in what is called a winter cluster which means they get into a big huddle. There is no point to flying outside of the hive as there are no flowers in bloom, hence no pollen or nectar is available. The colder the temperature the more compact the cluster becomes.

The queen bee stays in the center of the cluster. The point of clustering is to keep warm. Bees will move from the outer edge of the cluster to the inner sections, thus rotating heat and keeping warm.

If you’d like to get started on your beehives so you are ready in spring grab a copy of Beekeeping for beginners and learn everything you need to know.

Beekeeping for Beginners ~ What to do with a bee swarm

Jackie — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:57:26 +0000

Last spring we had a bee swarm land in our yard. It was quite startling to see a huge clump of bees, thousands and thougsands of bees lying there on a branch.

A bee swarm is when a new queen has been made and part of the colony is leaving with that queen to settle a new colony. They are simply looking for a new home.

If you find you have a swarm of bees in your yard and are looking to start beekeeping you can make some bee hives and start your beekeeping adventure with your visitors.

To learn how to build a bee hive and get your swarm engaged take a look at beekeeping for beginners.

Beekeeping for Beginners Questions ~ Can I Keep Bees in the City?

Jackie — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:51:54 +0000

IT may seem like beekeeping is just a hobby for those who live in the country with plenty of room, this is not necessarily the case. There are some advantages to keeping bees in the city. City temperatures are higher than in the country which means bees are awake longer during each day, and for longer periods of time through the year. This greater activity leads to higher honey and beeswax production.

Wondering where you will keep bees in the city, the roof. If you have roof access in your building the roof is an excellent choice for keeping your hives.

If you want more information on beekeeping in the city, read Beekeeping for Beginners.

Beekeeping for Beginners Quesitons ~ Who Lives in the Hive?

Jackie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:46:03 +0000

Part of beekeeping for beginners is understanding how the hive works. There are three elements at work within the hive. You have the queen bee ~ she is what the entire hive revolves around. Her entire job is to lay more eggs. If she failed to lay eggs the colony would not survive. Every bee hive must have a queen to survive.

Worker bees, these are the female bees of the colony. They are always out looking for pollen and are the bees that create honey and beeswax.

The drone bee is the male honey bee. These bees are expendable, the only job he has is to mate with the queen.

For more information, and to get your own bee hive set up read the complete guide to beekeeping for beginners.

Beekeeping for Beginners Questions ~ Where Do I Keep My Bees?

Jackie — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:38:11 +0000

You may or may not want to keep your bees in your backyard. This is easier done when you have a more room to use. If you live on a larger parcel of land it only makes sense to keep your bees on your property. However, if you have only a small piece of land, in the city you can also look for a local gardener, or farmer, even a local nursery to talk to about keeping your bees on their land.

Farmers generally welcome bee hives as it helps to polinate their crops, and I imagine nurseries would feel the same. You can even look for a empty lot in your community and start a community bee hive. If you’d like to know more about keeping your bees, find the answers in this complete beekeeping for beginners guide.

Beekeeping for Beginners Questions ~ How Much Will It Cost

Jackie — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:34:25 +0000

Cost is always a consideration when starting a new endeavor, the same is true with beekeeping for beginners. The answer to this question depends on how many hives you are going to set up and how many bees you plan to keep. It also depends on how you plan to set up your hives. If you plan to purchase premade hives it can cost you a pretty penny. If you are handy enough to nail some boards together and make your bee hives it can cost you very little to get started.

If you have no idea how to get started building hives, or what you will need to do it, this complete beekeeping for beginners guide will tell you everything you want to know.

Beginner Beekeeping Questions ~ Will I Get Stung?

Jackie — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:19:09 +0000

IF you are wondering if you will get stung while you are beekeeping the answe may surprise you. Honeybees are really quite non aggressive. They do not sting unless they are feeling threatened or provoked. The chances that at some point you will get stung are probable, but getting stung repeatedly is probably not a liklihood.

There are bee suits and other beekeeping supplies that will help you reduce the risk of getting stung while you are a beginner beekeeper.

You can find these beekeeper suits priced quite reasonably on ebay and other places online. If the fear of being stung is keeping you from beginning beekeeping, don’t let it. You can certainly take precautions to decrease your chances.