How to Start Raising Honey Bees for Business
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If you are thinking of keeping bees as a hobby or as a sideline business, below is a quick guide to raising bees because there are things you should know before making a start.
You will have to spend some money in the start-up of beekeeping, but before you start investing money, you might want contact beekeepers in your area, who will be happy in helping you out and in most cases point you in the right direction for local beekeeping equipment.
Clothing and Equipment Needed For Beekeeping
The veil is the most important clothing for beekeeping. Bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the possibility of damage to the eyes and ears.
Wear white or light colored coveralls. If you are not using boots, do not wear dark socks. Boots that fasten over the coveralls or in the coveralls should be worn, A wind breaker jacket will help you to avoid being stung. Pants, veil, sleeves should be fasten securely so that the bees don't get in the clothes.
You first need one bee hive, and a good place to get one is your local store or beekeeping society's from your area.
You can buy this equipment new or used. If it is used you will want to make sure it is in good condition, also get it examined by the Apiary Inspection Service for possible diseases. The normal price for beekeeping equipment is $250-$450.
You can also build you very own bee hives, which isn't to difficult, if you have the time, just make sure you have the dimensions correct because bees will build combs in places you don't want them to.
Getting the Bees
There are several ways to acquire bees, no matter which method you choose the right time to buy bees is spring, established colonies will cost you more, but they can be worth the extra money.
Package bees
The package of bees consists of 2 or 3 pounds of bees with the queen bee in a different cage (Beginners should be able to handle them easily)
Introducing a New Queen
The most common practice of introducing a new queen requires an introductory period of about three days the queen is placed in a cage and is fed by the colony bees though the wire gauze which covers the cage. The only way she is let go is when workers bees eat the candy entrance, or the beekeeper can decide to let go the queen into the colony self willingly.
The success of the colony depends largely on the quality of the queen. As a beekeeper you may notice a difference in the production of honey from one colony to the next. The difference in production can depend on several factors, and one being the queen.
It is obvious that guide is just a quick look at what's required, make sure you research before you start purchasing equipment, and get all the information so you can make a good decision as to whether bee-keeping might be for you.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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