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The Physiology Of Bees – What Makes Them Different?

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Ten years ago, my wife and I were looking to add honey to our food storage. A friend at Church recommended a local beekeeper that we could purchase our honey from. What followed was a marvelous introduction into the world of beekeeping. Perhaps the biggest draw that a beekeeper experiences is their attachment to the community of nature and the circle of life. Certainly, the maintenance of the bee hives requires attention to detail and balancing the life of those curious insects with our own existence; we live in close proximity and share the same land. The beekeeper also has to protect the hives from the devastation of mites and fungi which can destroy the colonies. That said, the benefits go far beyond the sweet honey they produce. Our beekeeper explained the medicinal properties of honey based on what type of pollen the bees use and how he applied the honey to his foot after surgery to destroy a bacterial infection; honey is air tight and no moisture hence bacteria exists with the honey. Finally, he regularly hosts bee sting treatments for people suffering from multiple sclerosis where patients attest to their symptoms being alleviated by the honey bee stings.

Weathering The Storm – Beekeeping And Severe Conditions.

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Beekeeping can be both a financial and environmental boon to an area. In British Columbia and Alberta, beekeeping is limited due to the severe weather conditions every winter. The estimated value of natural pollination by bees in Canada is over 750 million dollars a year. There is also the added benefit of pollination by bees aiding the growth of wild and domestic crops each year.

Most of the beekeeping is done for Canada in the Peace District of northeastern British Columbia. Beekeepers find it financially rewarding to operate in this region. Risks to beekeeping derive mostly from vandalism and bears. The local bear population is attracted to honey as a source of food. Beekeepers must keep this threat in mind and make sure to keep bears away from their hives. The purchase and expansion of beekeeping in the Peace District have added a financial benefit for the region. Across the border in northwestern Alberta, the same situation exists for expansion and growth for beekeeping.

It has been proven in these difficult regions of Canada that beekeeping can be done proifitably in severe weather conditions. Beekeeping has bolstered local economies and helped the growth of many crops both domestic and wild.

Western Honey Bees And The European Colonists.

admin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As there are no honey bees that are native to the Americans, in 1622 the European Colonist had began to bring the dark bees to America. However, later on down the line the Italian bees and others were followed. Many insects around the world as we know play a huge role to the Earth’s rotation and seasons changing, but the Honey Bees are the most popular in history today. As a commercial venture and hobby, deciding which bee to purchase shouldn’t be a problem. Starting a Home Based Business does require knowing what kind, how many, and also keeping track of the process. In fact, knowing the history of honey bees plays a major role in maintaining a successful business.

There are approximately 20,000 other species according to the European Colonist. According to history, Western Honey Bees are the most domesticated. Many people believe that bees just create honey and that’s it. Well, as written down in history and has been proven, bees also produce wax. In fact, they are considered pollinators of the earth. They hold a critical role within humans food chain today. Nesting in cavities, these bees produce multiple combs that can make it perfect for beekeeping.

Starting Your Honey Business

www.honeybeesonly.com — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re thinking about starting a honey operation you’ve got to make some big decisions and they don’t all have to do with bees. Whether or not you’re new to the field you should keep the following in mind before you set up shop:
How to Sell: Are you going to be an online store or more of a farmer’s market dealer? Make the decision early on and go from there and don’t forget to look at site like www.bank-card-processing.com to look into credit card processing whatever your format.Where to Grow: Do you already have land to host your bee operation and set up shop? If you don’t, consider leasing a space in a convenient location to your home to decrease your risk and upfront costs.
How to Package: Packaging is half the battle – the other half is marketing. Get some great, modern looking packing processors lined up then hire someone on a contract basis to do some marketing. There’s nothing worse than having a great product that no one knows about to buy.

The Difference Between Supersedure And Swarm Cell Production.

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Visually, they look about the same. But to the beekeeper, the difference between a swarm cell and a supersedure cell can mean the difference between a nice honey harvest or losing most of a hive and the honey production that goes with it.

First, let us quickly review the difference between supersedure and the swarming impulse. If a colony of honey bees determines that the old queen is too old, injured, sick, or unable to fully carry out her egg laying duties, they will take steps to replace her with a new queen. This process is known as supersedure.

The swarming impulse is the natural reproductive instinct of a honeybee colony. Normally, it is seasonally generated when the colony feels strong enough to cast a swarm without jeopardizing the survival of the parent colony.

The chief difference in determining whether your colony has supercedure cells or swarm cells is the location of the cells on the frame. If the queen cells are near the middle of the frame, you probably are looking at supersedure cells. If they are located on the bottom of the frame, particularly if there is more than one, you are most likely looking at swarm cells.

What You Need To Get Started In Beekeeping.

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

People have been beekeeping for over 5,000 years, and it is growing increasingly popular both as a hobby and a small business venture. For beginners, beekeeping can be a daunting challenge, but there are a variety of sources to guide one through the process from online guides to face-to-face help from your local beekeeping organization.

It is probably best to begin by contacting your local beekeeping organization. Most States have Beekeeping Associations, and there are many localized organizations that would be more than happy to help a beginner into the art. Most of these organizations and clubs sponsor courses and seminars in late winter or early spring where you can learn the fundamentals of beekeeping for a token fee. There you will be able to have you most basic questions answered: What equipment you will need, where to buy it and how much it will cost, where to get the honeybees that are the center of the endeavor.

The best and smartest part about joining your local beekeeping club is that you will have access to active and experienced beekeepers who can help you along and answer the questions you will have as you begin the process of becoming a master beekeeper.

Beekeeping History – Who Kept The First Bees?

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Rock paintings of honey being gathered from bee hives have implied that the gathering of honey dates as far back as 13,000 BCE.

Francois Huber was a scientist who conducted studies of bees during the 18th century and determined the queen bee of the colony is the mother of all the workers and drone bees.

For the most part when people first started collecting honey and bees wax, the hives were destroyed. As a result of the destruction of the hives during the harvesting time, new hives had to be found for the next harvest.

During the 18th and 19th centuries new ways were recognized that did not destroy the hives. Hives were designed so that frames could be pulled out and checked and then returned to the hive for continues use.

Wearing protective clothing is recommended particularly for the face and area around the neck for anyone who decides to take up bee keeping as a hobby. Generally the stinger of a honey bee will pull out of the body of the bee when it pulls away from whatever it has stung. As a result of the stinger continuing to discharge an alarm pheromone that will attract other bees as a defense of the hive.

Why Beekeeping Is Right (Or Wrong) For You.

admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

One doesn’t decide on a whim to begin keeping bees. The science of beekeeping is exacting and takes time and education to perfect. Keeping bees may not be right for you if you do not have access to fields where you can set up your beehives in the shelters that you will learn to provide for your bees once you have done your research on beekeeping. You should not decide to keep bees because you hope to become wealthy overnight by selling honey. You shouldn’t make beekeeping a main source of your income unless you own a large ranch or farm and have income coming in from other sources.
If you are right for bees, you will have a background in bees from either a relative or from having studied and visited beekeepers and their colonies. Seeing beekeeping as it is practiced by a professional beekeeper will be your first practical lesson in beekeeping. You can make lists of equipment like bee suits, smoking pots, honey pots, feeding stations for bees and similar items that you will learn about by studying beekeeping and by visiting bee colonies kept by local beekeepers.
Keeping bees may be right for you if you have a background in bees and the food that they produce.