Beekeeping Essentials

There are about seven officially recognized species of honey bees out of about 20,000 species that have been discovered thus far. In truth, nearly all the bee species make honey but these are singled out for their unique characteristics that make them perfect for beekeeping and honey production. Three of the most commonly domesticated species are the Eastern species, the European (Western) honey bee and the Africanized honey bee.

The Western honey bee is probably the most domesticated species. It nests in cavities and produces multiple combs which make it perfect for beekeeping honey which it produces in excess. If you are looking to get into commercial beekeeping, these are the recommended species.

There are so much more benefits that come from bees other than just honey. Bees also produce wax and are considered the pollinators of the earth. Much more research and interest has been given to the bees than other insects because of their critical role in the human food chain.

Let us have a brief look at how these incredible insects go about making that sweet tasting food substance you cannot resist:

Worker bees are primarily responsible for making honey. They set out and visit the flowers to gather nectar. Flowers actually use nectar as bait to attract the bees which in turn transfers the pollen grains from one flower to another in the gathering process. Through the production of an enzyme called invertase, the worker bee converts the complex sugars into much simpler ones like glucose and fructose. A second enzyme, glucose oxidase, converts part of the glucose sugar into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide making honey into an acidic medium but with a low pH. 

This is an extremely hostile environment for bacteria, fungi, moulds, any other such micro organisms giving honey its antiseptic qualities. Personally, this is not hard to imagine as I have long given up my throat lozenges in favor of a scoop of the magical healing honey! One final process which takes place is when the bees reduce the moisture content in the nectar which gives honey a very high osmotic pressure. This is why honey can last for a couple of years without going bad - and without any artificial preservation techniques like refrigeration.

Like I earlier mentioned, there is more to bees than just honey. Bees are key pollinators of a good number of the foods that we consume. It is certainly welcoming news to learn that beekeeping is increasingly gaining popularity as a hobby and commercial venture. This will help to mitigate the disastrous effects of the recent chants about CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) that have surfaced from many an analysts' reports. 

Kevin Hackett, national program coordinator for the USDA's bee and pollination program has been at the fore front to ensure the honey bees are not wiped out. In his own words; "... so if the collapse worsens, we could end up being stuck with grains and water".

The Beekeeping Hive: An Essential Guide

Here is a new definition for beekeeping; 'an activity or hobby that ensures earthlings shall have a varied diet of foods.'

If recent reports are anything to go by, I would like to promptly inform you that your recent interest in beekeeping is a hallelujah moment! You have definitely signed up for a major cause to ensure these amazing insects remain with us, and in large numbers to ensure the human food chain is sustained and balanced. You see, bees are responsible for about 80% of pollination in plants and a little over 30% of our meals are comprised of insect pollinated plants.

Beekeeping is the practice of keeping bees either for the dough (sale of honey) or just as a hobby. One of the most important tools in this culture, actually called apiculture, is the beehive. Bees exist as a single unit called a colony. Naturally, they would occupy hollow tree trunks and hang on tree tops or against the bark of the trees. Hollow tree trunks were actually a hot spot for the bees and have influenced the design of the modern beehive.

Beehives are an important breakthrough, I'll tell you that. Many winters ago, harvesting the honey meant a total destruction of the beehives and sometimes extermination of the bees. Thanks to developments in the design and structure of the beehives, this has changed a great deal. Modern beehives have gone even further to ensure accessibility and maintenance is the basis of any such designs. There are in fact some designs that are intellectual properties, as in patents.

As a seasoned or an aspiring (or a Johnny-come-lately) beekeeper, you should really devote some time and effort to understanding the beehive. A beehive is basically a mostly wooden structure that is used for rearing bees and designed to simulate their natural dwelling. The bees then make the small hexagon-like structures that they use for breeding and storing pollen and honey. 

These small structures are interconnected to form larger ones called combs which are commonly referred to as honey combs. The number and size of the combs will determine the amount of honey you will harvest. Some beehive designs even mimic the space that the bees would leave in between combs in their natural habitations and incorporate it in their overall design.

The citizens in any beehive are comprised of the worker bees, the drones and the queen. The worker bees (the busy bees) perform most, if not all of the housekeeping and basic chores that keep the hive running. They do clean up, feed the little ones and the queen, make the honey, and guard the hive from predators. They are sterile females and are the most abundant in any colony. 

The drones are the male bees and are far less abundant in the hive and their only role is to mate with the queen. After that, no one wants them around anymore and are sent out - to die. The queen is the center of the hive. Her primary role is to ensure continuity of the colony and therefore lays nearly 2000 eggs per day.

Beehives also assist in transporting the bees around when say, you want a certain area pollinated. There are actually some farmers who charge for pollination services.

Essential Beekeeping Guide

Back in 1995, Rockne S. O'Bannon's thriller movie, 'Deadly Invasion: the killer bee nightmare' had a less than average rating and perhaps considered a flop. Why? The bees never actually killed or seriously injured anyone!

"They can't even kill an allergic little girl!" one critic mused. "Usually when you put killer bees in your movie, you actually let them kill someone and not just fly around!" went another review. Rockne was certainly on the receiving end as one of the top movie critics concluded that "... so all you got to do to be safe when you are surrounded by these bees is... wave your arms around like a moron and you'll be safe". 

Now, for anyone whom that last piece of 'advice' has actually worked, please get in touch with me.

Posthaste! For all I know, bees are one of the most dangerous insects. If you flip that fact around you might have something like; bees are the only insects that produce the sweetest know naturally occurring food substance. But don't be fooled, these little stingers won't give up their honey that easy and they will ferociously attack their predators and any kind of intruder.

With this in mind, beekeeper clothing should be your number one item on the list of requirements if you are intending to embark on beekeeping. Bees can seriously injure you and even kill you through their stings and venom. You have probably seen some documentaries of seasoned beekeepers working around the bees without protective clothing. Don't attempt it!

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having protective gear if you are a beekeeper. Luckily, there have been some breakthrough inventions and designs of beekeeper clothing that have recently been developed. This has helped to strike the elusive balance between maneuverability and safety. Earlier on, the beekeeper protective gears had been a little cumbersome but modern day versions are extremely flexible and light improving efficiency when executing regular tasks around the beehives.

The beekeeper jumpsuit offers perhaps the best protection. It is basically a full or complete overall with an attached hood and hat. It is made of such materials like canvas or plastic that offers protection from the stings. Other suits are made of a combination of cotton and polyester which is a very light material but still offers optimal protection from the stings. The hood, which is the most important part of the suit, can either be attached or may come as a separate component.

Bees will tend to attack the head region, that is your face and neck region, because they are attracted to your breath. That is not to say that your nether regions do not need to be protected, a sting is just as lethal and painful anywhere on your body. The hood is made up of a hat and a veil that keeps the bees from coming into contact with your skin. The beekeeper suit is not complete without a set of hand gloves and boots. White is the preferred color of the beekeeper clothing as it tends to be a distraction to the bees and make s them less hostile.

Rockne is still my man!

The Essential Beekeeping Guide

You may already be familiar, through research or some other means, about the requirements of beekeeping. The tools and equipment needed, a little about the bees and their nature, where to get them, etc. Perhaps you are excited and off with the cockatoo to set things rolling and get your first colony. One of the critical things that you must have, keep and constantly use is the beekeeper guide. Beekeeping is certainly not something that you could just learn on the job.

Really, is a beekeeping guide necessary? You bet your life it is! Especially if you are a newbie.

What is the difference between the successful beekeeper and the less than successful one? Simply, the successful beekeeper works within the guidelines and best practices while still opening up for learning opportunities and efforts. All the harvesting seasons are not the same in beekeeping and therefore a beekeeping guide will always come in handy to ensure you cover the basics in the wake of any changes or new developments.

A beekeeping guide will answer nearly all of the questions for any beginning beekeeper. Questions like; what and where to get beekeeper supplies. The guide should contain not only a list of the basic requirements for starting out, but also a list of suppliers and manufacturers who stock the recommended tools and equipment. This will save you the headache of trying to figure out which brand to settle on to get the best deal.

The guide should also have a how-to section which will include how to set up your beehive, settling the bees in, and a how-to guide on performing some of the routine maintenance tasks. This indeed should form the bulk of the guide as you will then be digging your hands into the job after all is said and read. It contains clear step by step illustrations and tips on how to get everything done.

A beekeeping guide will contain tips on how to detect diseases and pests infestations. As a novice, it may be very difficult to see these signs. The guide contains information on the all the diseases, how to detect their signs, and how to deal with them. It also contains a list of pests like the mites and how to keep them away. This includes the bee predators as well. Some diseases and pests can wipe out the entire colony and all your beekeeping efforts could thus be brought to naught even before your first harvest.

The guide will also cover a lot about your safety. Bees are instinctively protective of their territory and always react through a swarm attack and stinging. This could injure you severely and even lead to death. A good beekeeping guide will cover all the basics on how you can keep yourself safe for the rest of your beekeeping run.

I know there are a lot of beekeeping guides out there that are extremely technical and the jargon will send you reaching for your science dictionary after every sentence. A good guide should cover the basics you need to get started.

The Vital Beekeeper Supplies List

Beekeeping is a delicate hobby or activity and you need to get it right. If you are just starting out and have probably not put a lot of thought into the requirements yet, you are headed for a dull show. Your beekeeping experience is going to be a robust and exciting (and stinging) one as you work the bees and wait for that sweet substance at the end of the show. You got to have a perfect blueprint.

An important part of that blueprint is the beekeeper supplies. You need to have the right equipment and also know where to get it for the best deal. It is not uncommon to see folks who are just too excited with their new found hobbies and get into a frenzy of sorts buying all the equipment that is even remotely related to it. You don't have to buy the whole store to get a good output.

Here are the (important) basics:

Get a bee hive. There are several types of beehives each with its advantages and disadvantages. You may also construct one for yourself so that you can have the dimensions customized for instance. You may also want to consider a used bee hive which is actually a favorite for the bees. 

The two most common types are the range of Top Bar hive and the Langstroth hives. These are extremely popular because of their simple designs that ensure easy access to those hard to reach areas during maintenance and harvesting. They are also relatively kind of easy on your wallet.

Next up are the stingers. There are about a dozen species that are considered true honey bees. The European honey bee and the Africanized honey bee are good examples. There are however some 20,000 species of bees known today. All the species of the bees will produce honey but these particular species are the crème de la crème of the stingers. 

These are the kind that you should insist on when purchasing a colony. If you are out in the wild or the countryside, you may be able to attract your own colony but if not, you can make a purchase. They'll pack up about 10, 000 bees for you and a queen. There will only be one queen at any given time in a colony.

Protective gear should be acquired simultaneously with your colony if not before. Before the stingers make themselves home, you will need to work a little bit here and there. Ensure you have your beekeeper jumpsuit on ad you perform all these tasks. This suit is one of the most important beekeeper supplies you will need as beekeeping is a dangerous activity in itself. Bees are extremely protective of their territory and any attempt to access the hive will almost always stir up a fight. Get a proper and full beekeeper suit that is white in color and complete with hand gloves and boots.

All your beekeeper supplies are not complete without the extra hand tools like the hive tools, excluder cleaning tools, bee brush, and frame patches. Finally, a beekeeper guide is absolutely critical for anyone starting out.

The Beekeeper Hat

It's a good thing you are (or thinking of) beekeeping. No 'hats off' though for now.

As a beekeeper, you will have to (forever) bear with the fact that your bee colonies will attack you almost always whenever you try to access the beehive. That's why you must always have protective clothing at all times - a beekeeping jumper suit. One of the most critical components of that suit is the hat and veil.

See, the bees will always attack your head and face region and therefore this should be well protected. 

A beekeeper hat is basically a hat with a wide and round brim running the entire circumference around your head. This hat is then attached to a veil which will keep the stingers away from your face. Without the veil, the beekeeper hat will just be like any other hat that will perform any other functions other than protection. 

The veil is also attached to the jump suit or to the collar tight enough to not allow the bees to slip under. Some experienced beekeepers utilize this as the only protective gear, but it is extremely dangerous as the stingers are able to deliver their stings anywhere else on your body. It is always advisable to don the full jumpsuit when working around your hive. 

  

The beekeeper hat is designed together with the veil to keep the stingers off of your face as they will always head there. It is made up of a brim that should stick far out a minimum of six inches or more to always ensure the bees are kept a safe distance from your face. The brim should be made of some tough material to hold the veil tight enough. Bees are attracted to your breath and the dark regions on your face. During an attack or when beekeepers are working around the beehive, you will always see a large number of bees on the head regions. This means you must always ensure that the veil never get in contact with the face.

Some beekeeping suits come complete with a hat and veil, but you can make one for yourself and save the money. Ensure that the veil is firmly attached to the hat and the suit collar so that it is tight enough. The veil should also be closely knitted to prevent the smaller stingers (the rookie worker bees) to go through. The veil should also not be too closely knitted as it might reduce visibility and give you a tough time working with the bees. The veil should also have at least a 180 degree view which also improves the circulation of air.

As with the rest of the protective gear, the hat should also be white in color or any of the lighter colors. The stingers will be less aggressive when you are wearing white colored gear because darker colors represent most of their enemies like the bears and raccoons.

Remember, the beekeeper hat is not complete protection in itself. It is best used in combination with the full jumpsuit, boots and hand gloves.

Used Beekeeping Equipment

If you are looking at diving into beekeeping and are a little tight on the dough, used beekeeping equipment is a good option. Don't you start improvising or leaving out some critical equipment because of a crunch. If you are just starting out, it's not such a good idea, but workable nonetheless. Some experts will tell you that bees actually prefer the old and used beehives to the brand new ones.

Once you know exactly what you need (by making a real list), the next question is where to get the get the best equipment and the best deal. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you set out:

The internet almost always is the default place to start for many people - no wonder it is a fave for the swindlers and cons. They will take every opportunity to throw at you a raw deal if you so much as show the slightest sign of vulnerability. That said, visit the sites or apiary if you are uncertain and check out the equipment for yourself.

Personally, I recommend starting out by checking the local directories for suppliers who are selling used beekeeping equipment. Ensure that they are registered by the local apiary authorities. The local beekeeping clubs could also give you some important recommendations and contacts. 

These folks can certainly let you in on some beekeepers that might be downsizing or looking to upgrade their equipment. That means their newsletters and publications might be a perfect place to scan for any ads of members selling off their equipment. A friend recently told me he had got information on some used hives from a bee exterminator. He had told him about some old hives that were in good condition after doing his thing for a customer who was throwing in the towel.

Equipment such as the hives can be sensitive. It may be infested with disease previously and not properly sterilized. Always try to find out why they are selling it and though this may be difficult, at least ask for some sort of inspection certification and later, a guarantee. 

Disease in the hive can be quite frustrating as it usually ends up killing the bees. Some of the diseases that are hard to detect include the acute paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus, and the fatal Black queen cell virus which kills the queen. As for the pests, it might be possible to see the signs of such pests as the varroa mites. This might be too technical for a novice at the moment, but it is information that can save you a great deal (didn't I tell you to get brand new equipment?)

Be on the look-out for faulty or damaged equipment. Some folks could easily try to sell you their equipment that is either not as effective anymore, or totally doesn't work. Lastly, keep your eyes on the money. Compare the costs of the used equipment to the brand new ones to ensure you don't pay less but have to replace or repair the equipment after a short period.

Vital Beekeeping Information

How do you like that piece of information repeated over and over this page and all over the place? There are a whole lot of websites and blogs talking about beekeeping. This is great actually. Sadly, that's what you get whenever you try to search for information on beekeeping - duplicity.

No other insect has been written about as much as the honey bee. As a beekeeper, there is the basic information that you need so as to get the best output for your efforts. Everything else is just, well...Fill in the blanks.

Broadly:

You need to learn about the bees and their nature. Bees are incredible insects that produce honey and live in large units called colonies. They are essentially social insects and very industrious like the ants and hence the term 'busy bee'. There are three types of bees; the worker bees, the drones, and the queen. Each of these has a very specific role in the colony. The worker bees perform most of the 'household chores' in the beehive like clean up, feeding the young ones, making the honey, fetching the nectar, feeding the queen, making the honey combs, guarding the hive, among others. They are sterile females and make up the majority of the population in any colony.

There's always one queen at any given time in each colony and her role is to lay eggs (about 1500-2000 everyday) to ensure the colony's continuity as other bees die off. She is fed on royal jelly and can live for up to 2 years. The drones are the male bees. Their primary role is to mate with the queen after which they become useless in the colony.

As a beekeeper, you need to always have protective clothing when working around your bees. You see, bees don't really get domesticated in the sense of the word. They will not take any intrusions lightly and will in many cases attack you by delivering a painful sting which contains some venom. These multiple stings from a huge swarm could be fatal and lead to death. Ensure you have a beekeeper suit complete with gloves and boots, a hat and a veil, and even a smoker to neutralize the bees. This suit should be white in color to reduce aggression from the bees.

You need to have adequate tools and equipment to make your beekeeping experience enjoyable and fruitful. Bottom line, you will need the following: A beehive, hive tools, a smoker, bee feeders, fume boards, and excluders which help keep the queen bee intact whenever you are working around the beehive. The entire colony revolves around the queen. These are the very basic tools that any beekeeper should have, though there are other specialized tools that are available.

Get a good beekeeping guide that you can always refer to whenever you need to do the routine maintenance tasks like clean up, repairs, and even harvesting of the honey.

Finally, ensure you have complied with the regulations and that you have the necessary licenses to practice beekeeping.

Honey and Money: Profitable Beekeeping

Even if only kept as a hobby, bees will still produce honey. Who (in their right mind) would resist the unrivaled sweet taste of honey that will go with just about any type of food? Seriously, you can spread it on a wide range of foods to add that extra sweet and inviting taste. Let's face it; honey IS the ultimate prize of keeping a bee colony.

Keep your eyes firmly on the prize because all year round the bees produce honey. You don't have to count the seasons and even better news is that, bees are found on every continent in the world except the Antarctica. Beekeeping honey can easily turn out to be a goldmine for you as well. Don't just take my word for it, just hit your local grocery store and check out the price tag on those clear 500-gram honey bottles and do the math.

Clearly, not many people have even begun to consider the numerous benefits of honey. Most just know it for its unrivaled sweet taste ('as sweet as honey'). Having said this, it also worth nothing that the bees produce several varieties depending on the nectar they are able to access. This means different flower types will have different scents and therefore the nectar will have different tastes which will influence the type of honey produced.

You know too well about the medicinal characteristics of honey. In fact, it has been an all-time panacea for all the sore throat related issues for me and my family members - and this was passed down to me. I cancelled all my quick dashes to the pharmacist every time my voice got a little rough or my throat got irritable. Well, this is just a drop in the ocean considering the immense health benefits that have been researched and documented. From vitamins and its healing characteristics, to skin treatments and wound treatment; honey just about fits into our everyday requirements.

What's more, honey has much more calories than any of the available sweeteners and can therefore perfectly substitute any of them. Not to worry. You won't stack up the kilos of you use honey regularly because the sugars in it are much easier to digest. In fact, research has recently revealed that when taken with warm water, it greatly aids in breaking down the layers of fat stored in your body. Ha! What do you know; a perfect solution for my little workout and morning jog that isn't working (anymore).

Honey can be consumed directly or mixed with your favorite drinks and beverages as a sweetener or even as a food supplement. As much as it IS food, it is not in itself a substitute for a full meal. I'm yet to hear a pot-full of honey serving as the main course.

Lastly, if you got your eye on the money, go for it! Go commercial beekeeping and help meet the huge demand for beekeeper honey.

The Comprehensive Guide To Beekeeping

Apart from the scientists, environmentalists and the researchers, everyone involved in beekeeping will be doing it for the honey. I know you are thinking, duh! But many people don't really get it right when it comes to beekeeping - the commercial folk and the enthusiasts alike. Let's put it this way; they miss the money as well as the honey! So whichever category of beekeeping you fall into, you know you want to have the honey more than anything.

In truth, there are about 20, 000 known species of bees. But only a handful of them, probably about half a dozen or more are truly recognized as honey bees. This is not to say that the rest don't produce honey, they do. But the honey bees, members of the Apis genus of the bee species are the only true honey bees with their origin as a whole being traced into the South East regions of Asia.

These are the species you want in your beehives especially if you are primarily a commercial beekeeper. Reports have appeared all over decrying the sorry situation of the declining numbers of honey bees. You might have already heard of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and some researchers had actually put in a lot effort to measure or estimate these trends. It is indeed a fact that there's so much more about bees than just production of honey. I can't seem to locate where I read that article, but it said something to the effect that about a third of the food we consume day to day is the result of pollination by bees.

Honey bees are social insects and they live in communities called colonies. There may be over 20, 000 such bees in any naturally occurring colonies like, in the wild. However, domesticated bees may be about four times that number in any given hive or colony. The bulk of these 'citizens' will be worker bees. These are sterile female honey bees that do most of the housekeeping in the colony. 

They carry out the basic tasks such as clean-up of the hive, feeding the little ones, tending and feeding the queen and protecting the hive against intruders. They go out to gather the nectar, pollen and water. Worker honey bees make the honey through some complex process in which they gather the nectar and break the complex sugars into simpler ones. This is done in about half hour to produce honey which they store in the combs.

The queen bee however is a special one. There is only one queen in any colony charged with the sole responsibility to reproduce. In any honey bee colony, everything revolves around the queen. She can lay about 1500 - 2000 eggs in a single day! This is to ensure the continuity of the colony. She is much larger than all the other bees (about 20mm) and can use her sting several times. For the other kind of bees, using their sting is a suicide of sorts.

Then there are the drones. The only function is to mate with the queen. After that, they will be kicked out of the hive or even die during the process.

The Beekeeping Lessons

A sting is probably one of the first lessons that you will learn as soon as you show as much as an interest in beekeeping. This in no way means that all the material and courses regarding beekeeping will only (or largely) be centered around how you can avoid getting stung while beekeeping. While you are ready trying to build a stingless-reputation, one more reputation concurrently builds up: a honey-less reputation!

It is human nature to prioritize safety before many other needs, actually except food only, safety takes precedence. While looking for info on beekeeping, learn as much as possible about all the other aspects that will ensure you tap into some honey at the end of the day - and not have a fat face.

Beekeeping, also known as apiculture is simply the maintenance of bee colonies with an intention of obtaining or harvesting honey either for sale or for personal consumption. Beekeeping is however not a simple activity that can be just handled as any other hobby. It is just as demanding as most other farming activities that involve breeding. You will certainly be required to put in the hours and the resources so as to obtain the best possible results, or else! For this one, you must get a little more detailed in your preparation. That could mean investing in related literature, watching the videos, sign up to the experts' coaching programs, and anything that will help to stomp out the ignoramus part of you.

Here are some basics:

First off, you can either domesticate the bees and have your own colonies or do some wild harvesting of honey from the existing wild colonies. This is commonly done in parts of Australia, South America, Asia and Africa and basically involves invading and many times destroying the physical locations where the bees reside and getting the honey. This is rather cumbersome as compared to domesticating the bees in beehives that can be easily accessed, cleaned and maintained to ensure long term supply of honey. Unless there are a couple of bee colonies that have established their own hives, going off on a wild hunt for honey can be quite a hurdle. I suggest you be your own man/woman and establish your own colony.

Proper protective gear is a must! You may compromise on anything else but this. Make sure you don protective suit every time you are working with the bees. These are easily available these days in a wide variety to suit just about all the possible preferences. Bees will normally attack your head region so this should be given priority. However a sting is a sting, and it will hurt anywhere it is delivered and bees will go all out to protect their territory.

And because beekeeping is also a dangerous activity, you are required to get all the necessary approvals or licenses from your local so as to avoid any legal problems as well as endangering your own family as well as the community.

The Beekeeping Hive

Beekeeping or apiculture is the practice of keeping bees for the production of honey either as a hobby or an all out commercial venture - and rewarding it is. A good number of commercial beekeepers can tell you about six or seven figure incomes that come from beekeeping so it's not a fallacy that it is actually lucrative. But still, there are other folks like the scientists and researchers who will keep bees for other purposes like research.

Since bees have an innate nature to exist as a unit or colony, they have tagged together since the beginning of time in the natural habitats of forests. They gathered in colonies and lived on treetops and hollow tree trunks. Man has sought to domesticate the bees for quite a long while with a very commendable degree of success that has featured breakthroughs such as the invention of hives. A hive is a structure, mostly made of wood and sometimes other materials, designed to mimic the natural habitat of the bees (the hollow tree trunks).

Beehives have been quite a breakthrough in especially the commercial beekeeping sector. Modern designs have done a lot to substantially increase the efficiency and outputs for beekeepers and as I write this, there already a couple of patents for some particular designs. Note that I'm referring to man-made or artificial beehives here. See, in the late 1700s, the bees had to be killed during the harvest which usually involved total destruction of the hive. So the invention of the modern beehive alone changed a lot about beekeeping.

The internal structure of any beehive is basically made up of interconnected hexagonal cell-like structures that bees use to store honey and pollen and also to reproduce. They use wax (beeswax) to construct these structures which are referred to as honeycombs. This means the more the honeycombs present in the beehives, the more the amount of honey that can be harvested at any one go. 

There are several types of artificial beehives present in the market, but, you may also construct one for yourself if you have the know-how. Whichever type you settle on, ensure that it is easily maneuverable and can be maintained and accessed in the most efficient of ways to prevent damage and save you some time and effort.

Even as you try to understand the physical nature of the beehive, it is also beneficial to know a little bit about what goes on in there - the bee nature. There are three types of bees; the worker bees, the drones and the queen bee. There is only one queen in a hive at any given time though the colony might develop another upon her demise. 

The queen's role is primarily to lay eggs and being the most important member of the hive, you shouldn't interfere with her a lot. The drones on the other hand are only required for mating with the queen. They are kicked out soon after and they hardly stick to one colony. The worker bees are the most abundant types of bees and as their name suggests, they do all of the 'housekeeping' in the hive. They also protect the hive from intruders.

Finding Used Beekeeping Supplies

Beekeeping is not as simple as it may seem and certainly requires some financial input. You might want to consider used beekeeping equipment if you are a little tight on the bread. But don't just pick it up anywhere or pick anything. Whatever the pieces of equipment, always ensure it is still in usable condition - even if it's free.

So where do you get these used beekeeping equipment you might ask.

A good place to start would be the local apiaries. Sometimes they re-do their hives and want to upgrade or just rebuild them altogether. This means they will want to get rid of the older existing ones. This would be a good place to snap up one for just a (certainly) good bargain. But ensure this is the only reason because a colony might abandon a hive because of disease or pest infestation. 

Make sure these folks don't make you inherit this trouble. You may insist on an inspection certificate if you are in doubt or check them out if they are registered. Another reason they might try to sell it off is if the hives are too weak or their best years are way behind them. This won't be of much use to you as you might have to replace it shortly after.

The local beekeeping associations and societies can point you in a fruitful direction. For instance, they will be among the first to get wind of any quitters or members looking to sell off some of their stuff. There will occasionally be some beekeepers that will be upgrading, downgrading or throwing in the towel altogether and chances are that they won't be looking to keep souvenirs. You can alternatively dig into some of their publications, magazines, communiqués, and websites looking out for some ads of people selling off their beekeeping equipment.

The internet is also a good place to check out for these equipments. Though there is always the risk of fraud and swindlers now in abundance, it is still a great place where you can get a good deal. Always check out the ratings and registration of the organizations behind the websites. Check them out in the local listings or in their area of operation.

When scouting for used beekeeping equipment, there are only two issues that you need to take into consideration. First, there is the rather obvious danger of buying equipment that is too old to function or doesn't work at all. A bee hive that is almost falling apart will probably set you up for a rocky start to your beekeeping life. While the idea is to save some bread, the cost of this equipment need not be remotely close to the prices of similar new ones. 

This would beat the purpose. Secondly, some types of equipment, particularly the used beehives, are prone to disease and parasitic infections. While it may be difficult to detect this, always insist on an inspection certificate or have an expert check it out - the beehive.

Protective Beekeeping Clothing

I sure do hope that you are not into the DIY thing that's all the rage. DIY is an acronym for Do It Yourself. There's quite a variety of beekeeping clothing now available in stores that is quite effective. This for only a couple of bills that will be nothing compared to the cost of the implications associated with improper beekeeping clothing - or lack of. But if you can put together your own thing, fine. DIY.

Before we go any further, I cannot highlight the importance of protective beekeeping clothing enough. It is an absolute priority when it comes to handling of the entire activity owing to the dangerous nature of bees. They are quite protective of their territory and can become violent with the slightest of agitation.

Beekeeping clothing can come in the form of a full suit complete with boots, or it may be broken into the hood, veil and ribcage-length tops or jacket. The more seasoned beekeepers like to don the modestly covering types of protective clothing that could only include a hood and veil covering only the head, neck and upper chest. This is risky for especially the novices as the bees might slip through from under the veil. 

If you are just starting out, I would recommend the full suit with the UV resistant hood and veil, a set of gloves, elastic cuffs, and strong seams at the joints. The gloves should have some elastic fasteners at the ends or at the wrist and should at least come up halfway towards your elbow. The cow-hide-like gloves are just the thing.

The hood and the veil are available either separately or pre-attached. It could also come in two shapes of either the hat-shaped kind or the dome-shaped one, you know, the Neil Armstrong kind. The hat and veil combo provides a wider angle view and is ideal for working with a couple of hives that could be sprawled on a garden or ranch. 

Its basic design offers a guarantee that your face will never get anywhere remotely near the veil which could expose you to the stings - remember the swarm generals will point to your face at the onset of an attack. Remember to clean your clothing regularly. Washing machines may damage the clothing so it is always advisable to hand-wash them.

White is the perfect color though there are other generally lighter colors. For some reason, bees will rarely attack you if you have a white suit. They perceive the dark colors as threats and easily get agitated prompting a vicious attack. For some other reason, they cannot resist the smell of your breath and will head for your face during any such attack. This area should be a priority as far as beekeeping clothing is concerned.

Don't worry if you look like you are going to the moon or some expedition in the stratosphere. It is for your own good. It's kind of cool you know (at least my son thinks so).

Is a Beekeeping Guide Important?

This is the thing; bees WILL always sting! Honey can definitely get you money!

A beekeeping guide is absolutely necessary if you are looking to get it right with apiculture. Don't you start getting delirious, going off getting awed by these insects that produce the sweetest food substance known to man, they certainly won't kiss you back and can harm you very badly.

So what's a beekeeping guide anyway you might ask? It is precisely that 'a beekeeping guide'! If you are starting out, it is one of the things that you want to always have it nearby but even more importantly, always utilize it.

A beekeeping guide will broadly be based on the following key aspects:

Safety and best practices

Unlike most hobbies and commercial ventures, beekeeping is certainly a perilous one. Therefore, a guide should devote a substantial part to keeping you safe and protected from the bees. Though a sting is inevitable every once in a while, it should remain that way; once in a (long) while. This should include information on the protective gear you require and how to properly make use of them as well as maintain them.

About the bees

The guide should contain info on the different types of bees and their role in the colony, their behavior and characteristics, what the bees need and even the different species. Understanding the bee nature will prove to be quite useful when working around them and generally becoming sensitive to their requirements as a colony. This will ensure you get the most out of your bee colony.

Bee nice - maintenance tips

The bee colony always acts a unit and therefore if you fail to provide the ideal conditions for them to thrive, you will wake up to an empty hive. Though you may be keeping them, bees are not really 'domesticated' as with other farm animals - c'mon now, they attack you every time you visit the hive. The beekeeping guide should therefore include maintenance instructions and tips for you to ensure the bees don't head for the hills as soon as they learn that you aren't meeting your end of the deal. It also provides information on all the tools you need and a what-to-you-use-where-and-when section.

General handling

The beekeeping guide provides information on how and when to harvest the honey, handling of the combs and the hives, processing and packing of the honey and such general information as how to construct or purchase a hive, etc. A beekeeping guide will certainly ensure you are not only efficient but will go a long way in ensuring you get optimal results for your efforts and resources that you employ.