Introduction to Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the cultivation of bees themselves (for pollination or selling) or their products (such as honey, beeswax, pollen and royal jelly), either commercially or personally.
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Hives
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Comb Bees are kept in hives that are set in a group outdoors, called an apiary. Beekeeping regulations usually require hives with movable combs. The apiary must be in a sunny place out of the wind. In colder climates hives may be wrapped with insulating material.
Equipment
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Equipment Beekeeping equipment includes gloves, an uncapping knife to pens the comb cells, a hive tool for separating hive parts, an extractor (a centrifuge for honey extraction), a smoker to calm bees and a veil for the beekeeper's head.
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Bees and Care
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The most commonly cultivated bees are breeds of the West honeybee species (Apis mellifera). Of these breeds there are several common types, the most common of which is the golden Italian (Apis mellifera linguistica).
The beekeeper must make sure that the colonies have enough honey and several frames of pollen for each colony's use. In the spring the colonies must be examined for possible shortage of supplies to make sure starvation doesn't occur.
Increasing the Colonies
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In the spring the colonies' populations rise, and to compensate for this the beekeeper increases sections of each hive. The beekeeper's goal is to increase the population to its highest peak of 50,000 to 60,000 bees at the nectar gathering time.
Swarming
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To capture a swarming colony, the common practice is to place an upside-down box or a hive near the swarm and smoke the bees, forcing the majority of bees and the queen into the hive or box. The other bees follow, and then the hive or box may be moved to a preferred location.
Warning
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Colonies can suffer from diseases and ailments such as mites, which can often be cured through medication.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Brigitte Wohack Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Don Hankins Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lauren "Lolly" Weinhold
