Archive for August 2011
Beekeeping Information- The Basics
Article by Amaechi Ekufu
Beekeeping, scientifically known as apiculture is a widespread activity world wide and in almost every country, there is a great number of people who are involved in it. The reasons for beekeeping might vary from one person to another but on a whole; the main reason why people look after bees is to be able to get honey. Other reasons include the sale of bees to other beekeepers, the need to have pollinators, doing it as a hobby and getting beeswax.
The right kind of information will introduce you to words like an apiary – a beekeeping location, a beehive – the bee habitat, types of bees and bee colonies. The practice of beekeeping is as old as history itself and over the year, a lot of new beekeeping information has been uncovered and passed on to the next generations. Indivuals like Jan Dzierzon, Moses Quinby, Dr. C.C. Miller and Amos Root are some of the people who over the years have brought to light a lot of relevant beekeeping information.
A lot of this information has been forwarded from one generation to another to help ease people’s attempts at beekeeping. The practice of beekeeping might have changed over the years but all these changes have been properly documented. As a matter of fact, the right beekeeping information should be able to provide a beekeeper with a comparison between beekeeping from the earlier days to beekeeping today.
The difference between traditional beekeeping and modern beekeeping is something that might create a problem to a new beekeeper because they might not know which direction to take. Correct beekeeping information will open their eyes to the differences between the two as well as throw more light on each of the types. There are particulars about beekeeping that many people are not well clued about and the right beekeeping information helps one to know whatever goes on in the world of beekeeping.
Process like the mating of queens, the activity of male bees or drones, the process of collecting nectar and other similar activities are well documented and explained in beekeeping information sources. The concept of bee harvesting can be rather complicated because while a bee keeper might want to harvest all year long, the bees actually have a cycle which as got to be identified. For a bee colony, there is an annual cycle which begins with the expansion of the brood nest sometime during spring.
As the seasons carry on and time passes by, difference activities take place and it is important for a beekeeper to know what happens when. Beekeeping information provides one with a proper schedule of how a typical bee colony cycle will be all year long.
If you really want to learn some hidden secrets used by top succesful beekeepers, i highly recommend “10 secrets of successfull beekeeping newsletter” at http://www.beekeepingguidecenter.com and gain more beekeeping information
About the Author
Amaechi is a beekeeping expert. He has helped thousands of beekeepers, from newbie to advanced. Get his Free mini course newsletter at http://www.beekeepingguidecenter.com
Wine Making and Bee Keeping
Article by Eddy Lee
Traditional Treasures: Wine and Bees
For the entire length of human history, wine has been produced and consumed, revered as a drink head and shoulders above any other. Cultures have risen and national fortunes have been made on the production of wine. Countries have also fallen because of their fine vineyards. Wine is a part of human history as much as war and wealth are.
Honey goes back even farther. Cave paintings have been found, depicting honey-gathering figures. Honey is a sweet, golden wonder. Ancient cultures valued it for its sweetness and mystical properties. Ancient texts often refer to honey as some wonderful gift from the gods, as in the phrase
5 Tips For Finding A Honeybee Breeder
One of the most important questions when you decide to start keeping honeybees is just what to look for when buying the first bees. If you will follow these five tips you will have no problems getting good quality bees for your first hive.
1. Stick with seasoned breeders – since this is your first time buying a colony or package of bees, you really are better off dealing with a breeder who has been breeding bees for many years, as opposed to purchasing your colony from a new breeder.
2. The health of the bees matter - in the game of beekeeping, the health of the bees means everything. If you get bees with diseases and parasites, don’t expect a trouble-free year.
This is the reason why there are apiary inspectors in every state – and you mustinsist in seeing the latest proof of apiary inspection of the bees before buying a colony. You will want to pay the breeder a visit if they don’t live very far away. If not, a strong reference from a local seasoned beekeeper will suffice.
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3. Is the apiary inspected regularly? - apiaries that are well maintained have nothing to hide from its customers. There is no reason why an apiary owner would refuse a regular inspection from the state’s apiary board.
Ask the breeder if inspection is done in the apiary at least once a year. If the breeder is unable to answer or answers in the negative, don’t buy bees from him, even if they offer you a discount.
4. Replacement policy – every reputable bee breeder knows that there is a mortality rate whenever bees are shipped via the US Postal Service. If a few of your bees die during shipping don’t assume the breeder isn’t a good one. Because this is common, a good breeder would be more than willing to replace bees that have died during shipping. Ask the breeder about his replacement policy before placing an order.
5. Watch out for fancy claims – it’s normal for breeders to add hype to their sales pitch when talking to customers. But there is a fine line between emphasizing the good points about honeybees and giving them completely false information.
If you hear a breeder bragging that his honeybees are sterling hybrids that can resist varroa mites and just about any other disease known to bees, simply walk away. Some bees will be hardier than others but, there is no such thing as “super” bees. That breeder is using fallacious information to get sales.
If you follow these simple tips, you won’t get stung when purchasing your first bees.
James Collins is the creator of the “Beekeepings Tips For Beginners Mini Course” – great reading for anyone interested in keeping honeybees. His website has valuable information on how to easily start your new hobby as a beginning beekeeper… Even if you have never seen a beehive before!
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