Beekeeping Tips For Beginners

So you are new in the field, you may be reading a lot of beekeeping books and magazines, but it still feels like you are not learning anything or not improving. This way of thinking is just normal. You cannot learn everything from books and magazines, which is why it is a great way to ask somebody who is experienced in beekeeping to help you out.

Beekeeping associations is a great way to start. BKAs encourage and enthusiastically supports those who are planning to get into beekeeping. You could identify somebody from the association who could be your mentor while still on the process of learning beekeeping basics.

When starting, you could start with two hives first. Later on, as you get the hang of it and as you learn more, you could start expanding and adding more hives into your apiary. A single hive could produce about 50 to 100 lbs of honey every year which could already help you make enough money or sustain your family's honey needs.

When planning you apiary, beekeepers should always consider about the water source. Water is very important for bees, you do not want your bees going for some water in your neighbors swimming pool. Make sure that you have a water source in your apiary.

There could be some problems with buying second hand beekeeping equipment. There are incidents when the equipment could actually have viruses and even bring molds to your colony. You would have to be careful with that. Although, second hand equipment is a lot affordable than new ones, the problems with diseases and health problems could cost you more in the long run.

A way to cut some cost on equipment is identifying first what kind of beekeeping technique you will be using. Different kinds of techniques would require different kind of equipment. Do your research first before buying beekeeping equipment.

Package bees and nucleus are great bee sources for beginners. Collecting swarms and introducing them to their new hives, although affordable, is not a viable option for beginners. This process can be very dangerous and at the same difficult for a novice. When buying package bees or nucleus, always inspect them. Be sure to purchase bees free of mites and diseases.

The weather conditions could make food for the bees scarce at certain times. During food scarcity, you could feed the bees with sugar syrup. A beekeeper should always check the bees, especially if they are overcrowding. Overcrowding could cause the bees to swarm or split the colony.

Before starting beekeeping or any hobby in that matter, knowing and learning about is always the first step. Aside from that, you would need to identify if this field is really for you.