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Beekeeping needs a lot of hard work as well as learning. One needs to be familiar with the behavior and the lifecycle of the bees to be able to take care of them in a proper way. As a beekeeper, you may notice many warning signs of issues in hives such as disease, missing queen, etc. Things can be difficult if you are a beginner. Here is the guide that will help you with a few tips to become an effective beekeeper.
There are several ways through which one can become the best beekeeper, but before that, one needs to know in detail about honeybees. An experienced beekeeper should know about the biology, different casts, behavior, and life cycles of the bees. The more you know about your bees, the better beekeeper you will be.
Getting familiar with their behavior as well as lifecycle will help you with your hives. Once you understand the overall function and lifestyle of bees, you will be able to solve issues easily. You can find more information on bees at new york beekeeping supplies.
There are various hive designs available in the market. But according to the experts, it is beneficial to choose the one with moveable frames. One such design is Langstroth hives. These types of hives offer better support for comb due to the frame. Apart from this, you will also be able to conduct the inspections, quickly swap frames, and use the extractor with frames.
Regular inspection of the hives is known to be an essential task. Generally, bees can run out of space or make queen cells in less than two weeks. An inspection process consists of opening the hive, checking the available space for bees, checking each frame of the brood, etc. It is important to look for the signs of diseases or stress. It is advised to check the queen if you see an unhealthy brood pattern.
You might not understand how much honey will be harvested if you are in the start of the process. According to the experts, one should not take out honey from the colony during the first year. The amount of honey that needs to be withdrawn from the colony depends upon the geographical location and the strength of the colony. You should leave more honey during the colder days. In some areas, you would need to leave more than 100lbs of honey. You could lose the colony due to starvation if you take-out honey in excess. You can always consult local beekeepers for more information.
Most of the experts recommend getting two colonies instead of just one. Managing two colonies does not require much work, but you can certainly reap the benefits. Having a second hive will give you more options to transfer the honey, brood from stronger, pollen, etc. If any of the colonies lose the queen and do not have any eggs to make a new queen, then you can certainly get a new hive.
According to the experts, it is better to ask the local beekeepers to start the colony early. Starting the colony at the earliest can help to kill the bees as they won’t be able to find the food. Apart from this, if one starts late, the bees won’t be able to get enough time to make more honey to survive during the winter.
Most of the beekeepers tend to use the used equipment due to cheaper prices. But as a beginner, you won’t be able to fix or recognize the issues if there are any. Hence it is advisable to start with the new hives as well as frames to save yourself from trouble. If you are getting the old or the used equipment, then make sure to get it checked by the local beekeeper.
