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How to Choose Wood and Paint for Beehives
In the wild, the home of a bee colony is called a nest. Bees tend to build their nests in hollow trees or rocks. These nests are sometimes built exposed and consist of hanging rows of honeycomb. The term beehive, however, refers to an artificial man made structure that houses bees. So, what are beehives made out of? The outside of beehives are made out of wood. The inside of a beehive is made out of beeswax. Beehives are made out of wooden boxes containing frames. The inside of the beehive contains the bee colony, beeswax, and propolis. Beeswax is formed into cells that store brood, pollen, nectar, and honey. …
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How to Identify Robber Bees
Once your bee colony is established and producing honey you will have to be on the lookout for robbers. You see, bees from one colony will actually try to steal honey from another colony. In beekeeping this is called robbing, and the bees are called robber bees. A successful beekeeper must know how to identify robber bees, as well as prevent them. What are Robber Bees Robber bees are technically forager bees. It is their job to collect food within their flight range. Their flight range is usually 2 miles from their hive. The food they collect is normally pollen and nectar, but robber bees are after honey. Robber bees…
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What Grade of Manuka Honey is Best?
Manuka honey is a rare specialty honey that is prized for it’s delicate floral taste and it’s antibacterial and medicinal properties. You can only get manuka honey from the manuka bush that grows in New Zealand. Because of it’s nutritional composition, manuka honey has health, beauty, and culinary uses. It contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and methylglyoxal, a compound with serious antibacterial effects. Choosing manuka honey can sometimes be a little difficult, as each jar is graded by standards put in place by the New Zealand Government. Manuka honey grades reflect the methylglyoxal content of the honey. So, what grade of manuka honey is best? Manuka Honey Grading The higher…
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Shallow vs Medium Super
In beekeeping there are a lot of different terms that can get confusing for those just starting out. For example, the boxes in the beehive have different names such as hive bodies, brood box, and super. What is a Super? In a beehive, the supers are the hive boxes that are placed above the brood boxes. These are the boxes bees use to store surplus honey. That’s why they are also commonly called honey supers. It also gets it’s name from the word superstructure, which means a structure built on top of something else. During a nectar flow, a queen excluder is placed so the queen cannot enter the supers. …
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How to use a Top Feeder for Bees
There are three different types of feeders used in beekeeping. An entrance feeder sits right outside the entrance of the beehive. A frame feeder goes in the hive, replacing one of the frames. A top feeder sits on top of the upper box of the beehive, with an empty hive box placed around it. Each type of feeder has it’s own benefits and disadvantages, so different beekeepers prefer different feeders. The top feeder for bees is good because they are protected from the sun and they usually hold a lot of syrup. What is a Top Feeder for bees? There are different designs for top feeders for bees, but they…
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How to Get Pollination Contracts
Most beekeepers earn money by selling honey and beeswax products. But there is another lucrative way for beekeepers to earn money – by offering pollination services. Much like migratory beekeeping, beekeepers can bring their hives to a field to pollinate crops. This is beneficial to both the beekeeper and the grower. Read on to learn how to get pollination contracts. What is a Pollination Contract? A pollination contract is an agreement between a beekeeper and a grower of crops such as fruits or vegetables. The contract provides terms and details that have the beekeeper bring beehives to the grower’s fields in order to pollinate their crops. The contract should specify…
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Should You Use a Queen Excluder?
Beekeepers have different opinions on the use of a queen excluder. Some can’t live without them, while others never use them at all. Queen excluders come with a lot of beginner beekeeping kits and the beekeeper must decide to use it or not. This article will discuss everything about queen excluders – how to use them, gap size and dimensions, benefits, disadvantages, and if you should use a queen excluder or not. What is a Queen Excluder? A queen excluder is a device used in a beehive to keep the queen out of the supers. It is made out of a flat sheet of metal or plastic, containing holes that…
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Is Pure Honey the Same as Raw Honey?
There are a lot of different kinds of honey available, so it can be hard to know which one to get. In particular, I often see pure honey and raw honey for sale. Pure honey and raw honey are two different things, however – all raw honey is pure, but not all pure honey is raw. I realize how confusing that sounds, so read on to learn about these two types of honey. Is Pure Honey the Same as Raw Honey? Pure honey is not the same as raw honey. Pure honey is free from contaminations and added ingredients such as flavorings, sugar, and corn syrup. It is filtered to…
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Protecting Beehives From Ants
When inspecting your beehive, you may find more than just bees in there. Ants are notorious for trying to get into beehives and set up shop. You may notice them on the ground around the hive, crawling up the legs of your hive stand, and even in the hive itself. If you have a problem with ants in your beehive, this article is for you. I will be sharing tips for protecting beehives from ants. Do Ants Harm Beehives? Sure, ants are annoying, but do ants harm beehives? Ants are usually attracted to beehives because they want to get to the sugar water in the feeder or the honey. A…
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Never Paint a Hive Again – The Benefits of Wax Dipped Beehives
In Australia and New Zealand, beekeepers have been using a special technique for preserving their hives. It is eco-friendly, chemical free, and they say that their hives can last as long as 30 years before retreatment is necessary. What is this technique? It is called wax dipping. This method involved dipping their beehives in molten hot wax to preserve the wood. This results in wood that is durable and water resistant. This article will go over the benefits of wax dipped beehives, how they are made, and where you can find the best wax dipped beehives for sale. What Are Waxed Dipped Beehives? Waxed dipped beehives are hives that have…
