Beekeeping
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How Close Can Beehives Be to a House?
Backyard beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular lately. With beehives, beekeeping equipment, and bees easily shipped through the mail, many people can now enjoy beekeeping from their own backyard. When deciding where to place your beehives, there are a few things to take into account. You’ll need to consider the ground, the bee’s food and water sources, the sun, wind, and the proximity to houses. How Close Can Beehives Be to a House? When keeping bees in a residential area especially, you don’t want your hives too close to houses. You want to keep yourself and your neighbors safe, plus bees need ample space to fly up and over houses. But…
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The Best Time to Start a Beehive
The weather is finally starting to get a little warmer as spring approaches. For beekeepers, this is the perfect time to prepare for the upcoming season. For a bee colony to flourish, you want to get started at the right time. So, what is the best time to start a beehive? Why it’s Important to Start a Beehive on Time If you start too early, and the weather is too cold, the bees will be unable to forage for food. Starting a beehive in winter is a very bad idea. Usually in the winter, the bees focus all of their energy on staying warm in their winter cluster. They do…
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How to Use a Bee Smoker
One of the first things a new beekeeper will learn is how to use a bee smoker. A bee smoker is essential in allowing the beekeeper to do hive inspections without getting stung. What is a Bee Smoker? A bee smoker is a device beekeepers use that puffs smoke into a beehive. It is constructed as a stainless steel cylinder, called a fire chamber, with a lid and nozzle on top. A bellows is attached to the back of the cylinder that forces air through it. Bee smokers usually have metal cage built around them so the beekeeper can hold the smoker without burning their hands. There are different kinds…
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What to Feed Bees in Early Spring
While it’s ideal for bees to be able to feed themselves, sometimes the beekeeper has to step in and help. By the end of winter, even established colonies may be running low on food. Early spring is a crucial time for the bee colony. This is when they are preparing to produce new brood. To do this, they need a good supply protein and nutrients. Read on to learn what to feed bees in early spring. Why Feed Bees in Spring? Early spring can be a difficult time for the bee colony. Throughout the winter, they have been living off of stored honey and pollen from the previous year. However,…
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How to Use a Beekeeping Journal
A part of beekeeping that is not often thought of is record keeping. Record keeping is such a useful tool because keeping track of your observations can really help to improve and expand on your beekeeping knowledge. There are a few different methods of record keeping of beekeepers. Some keep their records electronically by using excel spreadsheets or even audio or video, but the most common form of record keeping is a beekeeping journal. These can be made from scratch, bought, or made from a beekeeping journal template. What is a Beekeeping Journal? A beekeeping journal is a great way for beekeepers to keep track of what is going on…
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How to Requeen a Queenless Hive
The queen is the most important member of the honey bee colony. Without her, the hive cannot survive. There are times when the hive becomes queenless and the beekeeper must step in to provide a new queen. This is called requeening. What is a Queenless Hive? A queenless hive is a hive that does not have a queen. On the other hand, a hive that has a queen is called queenright. It is important for a beehive to have a queen at all times because the queen is the only one that is able to lay fertilized eggs. Sometimes the colony is able to make a new queen on their…
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Should You Use a Screened Bottom Board in Winter?
In beekeeping the bottom board is the floor of the beehive. There are 2 different types of bottom boards – solid and screened. Both types have advantages and disadvantages, and it is up the beekeeper to decide which one they like best. This article is all about the screened bottom board. Here, you’ll learn what a screened bottom board is, pros and cons of using one, and how to use a screened bottom board in winter. Disclosure: As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and helps to keep this website running. What is a Screened Bottom Board? In a beehive, the bottom…
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Insulating Beehives for Winter
Winter can be a worrying time for beekeepers. Between the freezing temperatures and a limited food source for bees, how can beekeepers ensure that their colonies will survive winter? Bees spend the whole year preparing for the cold months. They stockpile honey to eat and generate heat with their bodies. As beekeepers, we can help them stay warm by insulating beehives for winter. When the temperature drops to the 50’s it signals to the bees that it’s time to form a winter cluster. To do this, they gather closely together, with the queen in the center. They are so close to one another that the hairs on their bodies interlace. …
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Caring For Bees in the Winter
Winter is a vulnerable time for bees. The 2 things they need to survive – warmth and food are not readily available during the cold winter months. If there are no flowers to forage from, what do bees eat in the winter? This article will discuss what bees do in the winter, what bees eat in the winter, and how to feed bees in the winter. What Bees Do During Winter Unlike bears or birds, bees do not hibernate or fly away during the cold months. Instead, they gather in their hive. When the temperature drops to the 50s it’s time for the bees to return to the hive…
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What is Migratory Beekeeping?
The two types of beekeeping that most people know are hobby and commercial beekeeping. Hobby beekeeping refers to those who own a few hives and keep bees for fun, or for a small profit. This is also called backyard beekeeping or urban beekeeping. Commercial beekeepers have a lot of beehives and keep bees primarily for profit. Beekeeping is a serious business, and it can be challenging to find quality beekeeping equipment. Whether you go for commercial or urban beekeeping, you need an excellent quality beekeeping kit. There is also another type of beekeeping that has a huge impact on the produce we eat. Migratory beekeeping is responsible for the pollination of many…
