The Good Living Guide to Beekeeping by Dede Cummings

Author:Dede Cummings
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Good Books
Published: 2016-01-07T05:00:00+00:00

Advice for Beginners

According to Mares, patience is the key. “Don’t get discouraged,” he urges, because bees “are wonderfully interesting.” For the first year, both Mares and Berger recommend having a mentor. Knowing firsthand how important it is to have some experience before jumping in to the world and life of beekeeping, Berger says, “Someone who has bees and is willing to give you some pointers helps a lot. I did not have a mentor; I had to figure most things out for myself.” “Spend time doing it,” says Mares, because bees need and deserve a lot of attention.

Berger also suggests joining a beekeeping club. “When I started going to meetings the whole beekeeping world opened up,” he explains. “Visit with your fellow beekeepers; you will learn a lot and gain valuable resources. Most of all, relax, enjoy the bees. Manipulating a hive is an art; knowing what you are seeing is a science.”

Make sure you are involved with your bees. “Look for signs of overcrowding which will always lead to swarming,” says Rowland. Some signs of swarming include: bees crowding on top of or outside of the hive, and honey or pollen in the brood nest which means the queen has no space to lay eggs. Population is important when it comes to beekeeping, and when swarming happens, “you end up losing half of your bees plus the queen,” explains Rowland. Take measures like “start adding honey supers if you haven’t already. Or if really crowded you may need to split the hive.”

And when you get a colony, talk to your bees, recommends Robbie Minor, a knowledgeable beekeeper of two years who worked beside and learned from Les Crowder, a nationally renowned organic beekeeper of approximately forty years. Like a dog or cat, they know your voice, and most of the time will be calmer around you than if they were around a stranger.

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