Bee care tips for beginners

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Today, many people, tired of city noise and bustle, dream of silence, peace, measured life. And some also seriously think about the possibility of acquiring their own apiary. The decision is really good in every way. However, if you want to achieve a good result, and not be disappointed after spending several months of time and a lot of effort, then you need to learn more about caring for bees in advance. For beginner beekeepers, there are many pitfalls that can cause a lot of trouble.

The advantages of own apiary

Of course, own apiary has many advantages. It has long been noticed that watching bees (and without this you can’t work with them in any way) allows you to relax even better than when watching aquarium fish. In addition, you can get the right amount of a valuable product - honey. Having established how much honey is produced by one swarm of a selected breed in a given area, one can easily calculate how muchthe same hives need to be installed in order to receive as much product as required.

At the same time, you can be 100% sure that an exceptionally high-quality product gets on the table, and not half-diluted with sugar syrup, which, alas, is quite common in stores and various fairs.

Finally, excess can always be sold. Honey remains usable for a long time (in general, experts agree that it can be stored indefinitely) and at the same time it has a high cost. It's no surprise that some people, after trying beekeeping as a hobby, learning bee care for beginners, and selling their first surplus of product, eventually give up work, preferring to do what they love and earn a lot of money in the process.

So if there is such an opportunity and craving, then everyone will benefit from trying to get bees.

Buying bees

One of the most important things that determines whether beekeeping is fun or frustrating for a beginner is choosing the right breed. Before you figure out where to start caring for bees, you need to decide which breed is the best option for your region.

It is worth studying the characteristics of all breeds on the market. For example, the Carpathians work slowly, but constantly. Focusing on the relatively mild climate and long summer, they mainly collect meadow honey. Forbs provide the richest bouquet of aromas. At the same time, Carpathian bees provide a good collection even whenrelatively weak honey plant.

But Central Russian bees are significantly different from the Carpathian ones. They are larger and can withstand lower temperatures in winter, which will be an important plus for many regions of our country. This is especially important for beginners - caring for bees in the spring, and at any time of the year, will bring less hassle. However, they specialize in one plant. For example, while the linden blossoms, the bees will actively work without being distracted by other honey plants. This allows you to get a monofloral product, which is appreciated by some gourmets. In the short flowering time of some crops, they collect a large amount of honey. In general, it is best to choose these particular bees. Care and maintenance in the northwest of our country will cause the least problems.

However, it is worth knowing about other options. On the market you can see many other breeds - Caucasian, Italian and others. Explore their features to decide which is best for you.

The next important question is how many hives to buy? Some beginners find it best to start with one. It would seem logical. Why spend extra money if your hobby will disappoint you later? But in fact, experts recommend buying 3-5 bee colonies at once. Yes, the costs will increase several times. But it's worth it!

Let's start with the fact that swarms differ in character. Yes, yes, surprisingly, any beekeeper will agree with this. Some work better, others worse. Some have a very vicious character, while others are more accommodating. Will be bad,if meeting one lazy and embittered family spoils the impression of the bees in general. In addition, taking care of one hive takes almost as much time as taking care of five - daily inspection, checking if everything is in order in the family. But from five families you can get five times more honey than from one! And it's definitely worth it.

Required inventory

In order for beginners to care for and breed bees without causing unnecessary trouble, you need to seriously approach the inventory that will be used during work.

Of course, first of all, this is a suit and a special beekeeping mask - without this equipment, climbing into the hive for a routine inspection or removing frames with honey is simply dangerous. Don't forget the gloves. Some beekeepers prefer to work without them so that their hands do not lose sensitivity. But decide for yourself what is better - a slight discomfort at work or a few painful bites.

Also, do not forget about the smoker - you can make it yourself or buy it in a store. It allows you to clean the frames from bees, ready to the last to protect their we alth.

You will need a bee chisel that allows you to easily pick up the frames and remove them or simply redistribute them in the hive.

An important tool is the sweeping brush. With its help, you can quickly remove the most persistent bees from the frames. However, some experts prefer to use the wing of a capercaillie or black grouse - soft, not causing damage to bees.

Do not forget about the hives themselves - it is advisable to have at least one in reserve, and preferably several, if the swarms start to go out one by oneothers and will need to quickly provide suitable housing for everyone.

Make sure you have enough wax frames. In late spring and early summer, bees collect honey quite quickly - just have time to extract it.

It would not be superfluous to take a guided store that allows you not to interfere with the bees in the midst of work - instead of taking full frames, it is worth giving them a few empty ones so that the workers fill them with honey.

Finally, the honey extractor. The most expensive purchase - the cost ranges from 5 to 50 thousand rubles. You should not buy it right away - you will have to sell a lot of honey to justify the costs. It is better to try to negotiate with familiar beekeepers about renting equipment at an affordable price. Yes, you can expel honey without a honey extractor, but this requires a significant investment of time and effort with a relatively low productivity.

Choose a suitable place for the hive

Before telling a beginner beekeeper about caring for bees, some advice should be given on choosing a place to equip an apiary.

First of all, the hives should be at least four meters from the fence separating your site from the neighbor's - this is prescribed by law. Of course, if you set up the hives in the middle of the meadows, there will be no such problems.

The hives are best placed under dense trees so that they are in the shade and do not overheat in the sun.

Before installation, it is necessary to provide for the presence of a drinking bowl, otherwise it will be difficult for the bees to get used to it. Immediately after the first flight, the bees will finda suitable source of water and will prefer to fly there, even if it is at a great distance and in foreign territory.

Finally, it is desirable to place the beehive with a fly to the north or east.

Remember - you cannot change the location of the hives. Bees are very sensitive to such changes. Therefore, it is advisable to foresee everything in advance so that later you do not have to regret bad decisions.

First inspection

Giving tips on caring for bees to a novice beekeeper, it is worth noting that each inspection is a serious stress for little workers. Therefore, it should be done as infrequently as possible. But at the same time, at least once every 10 days. Otherwise, you may not notice a serious disease or other problem that can lead to the death of the swarm.

On the first day immediately after the installation of the hives, inspection should not be done. After opening the notch, leave them alone. The bees will inspect the territory, get used to it, remember what their new habitat looks like.

When the time comes, there are certain rules to remember. Their observance is the key to proper bee care for beginners.

When inspecting, you need to stand to the side of the hive or behind - in no case in front, so as not to become an object of attack. After opening the lid, immediately let some smoke inside. After that, with the help of a chisel, carefully move the frames, inspecting each of them. You need to work smoothly, without sudden movements. When pulling out the frame, be sure to hold it over the hive. There may be a uterus on the frame - if it falls, then at least into the hive, and not intograss, where it will be harder to find.

Check if there are cells within the cell that contain eggs. If there is, then everything is in order - the uterus is alive and working productively. If there are no eggs (experienced beekeepers can even determine their age), then there is reason to worry - you may have to urgently look for a new one so that the hive does not die.

If there is no bribes (fresh honey) in the hive, the bees will have to be fed. It is best to make syrup by mixing sugar with water in a 1:1 ratio. A family consumes about 500 grams of syrup per day. This is a temporary and forced measure - for a long time the bees will not last on such a diet, as they need fructose, not sucrose.

Spring work

Now it's time to teach beginner beekeepers about caring for bees in the spring.

Before taking out the bees from the hare, you need to listen to the rumble. From it, a good beekeeper can easily determine whether everything is in order with the hive. If the uterus is he althy, and there is enough food, then the rumble of the swarm will be even, deep, calm. Any deviations indicate some problems in the family.

When the temperature rises to +12 degrees Celsius during the day, and at night does not fall below +8, it's time to take the bees to their usual apiary. You should first mow the grass there, and if there are anthills, destroy them so that they do not pose a threat to the bees.

One day after putting the hives on the street, you need to make the first inspection of the year. With this, the care of bees after wintering begins. For beginner beekeepers, this will seem difficult, but with enough experience, you can easily completeall work. It is necessary to identify the presence of queens - this is a paramount task. Also, make sure the bees have enough food. If stocks run low over the winter, be sure to set up a pristine frame to feed the insects before hard work. This is where bee care begins in early spring.

Also keep the hive clean: pollution is always a source of disease that can weaken and even destroy bees. If the hive is clean, then everything is in order, you can close it and move on to the next one. Otherwise, the bees will have to move. This is one of the most important stages of bee care in April. Beginner beekeepers should be prepared to act carefully and quickly.

Moldy and worn out should be immediately removed and replaced with fresher, cleaner ones. Old ones can be safely recycled for wax.

It is especially important for beginner beekeepers to remember: caring for bees in the spring is very important, as it sets the pace for the whole working year, makes the bees feel great.

All of the above actions are for April. However, the work is not limited to this. For example, in May, spring care for bees in sunbeds includes reproduction. If the weather is favorable, then you can breed queens, creating new families and expanding the apiary.

To do in the summer

Summer is the hottest time for a beekeeper. Therefore, it is definitely worth mentioning when talking about bee care for beginners.

In June, breeding of swarms ends. subsequent queensit is desirable to eliminate from the hives while they are sitting in the queen cells. Otherwise, you can get 4-5 swarms in a season, but they will all be weakened, they will not have time to collect enough honey, even to overwinter, not to mention the sale or consumption by the owner.

In June, various honey plants bloom most actively, so honey has to be pumped most often. Be careful that the bees have empty frames. Otherwise, they will create additional foundation on the walls of the hive, making it difficult for the beekeeper to work further. Always have fresh frames on hand, or better yet, a store with them, so that you can quickly extend it and allow the bees to continue working. Don't forget to put a grate to prevent the queen from getting to the store, then there will be only honey without brood, which is very convenient.

In July, young queens are usually replaced with old ones. Without this, there is a great risk that the old queen will die, dooming the hive to extinction. It is also very active to inspect stores - at least twice a week. The hardest time for any beekeeper! In large apiaries, honey extractors are noisy almost around the clock. But also the most profitable - from a good hive you can get tens of kilograms of fresh, fragrant honey in a week. Additional work on the care of bees in sun loungers is not carried out.

The end of the second trick is usually in August. Shops are cleaned, families are carefully examined. Those weakened by illness or other shocks should be increased - additional honeycombs should be installed where the queen can lay her eggs. It is also important to inspect feed stocks, replacehoneydew honey on flower. Make sure you leave enough for the bees to survive the winter. But you can’t leave too many frames either - they quickly cool down and cool the hive, which affects the he alth of the bees. It will not be superfluous to fumigate the winter hut with sulfuric smoke and whitewash by the end of August - cleanliness is above all!

As mentioned above, honeydew honey should not be left for the winter. The fact is that due to the shortage of honey plants in August and especially September, bees begin to collect everything sweet, including milk left by aphids. The resulting honey is quite suitable for short feeding - for example, it should be placed in the hives in the spring. But you should not eat it, because it does not taste very good. Moreover, it cannot be left in hives for the winter - bees, after eating it, quite often begin to get sick. Many do not survive the winter.

It is very important to determine if there is honeydew honey in the comb. To do this, it is advisable to take a little of a sweet product from different areas and conduct a simple experiment. Dissolve it in a small amount of water without residue. If flakes form at the bottom, then honey contains honeydew. All frames from the hive must be removed and left until spring. If there are no signs of fall, then some of the frames are removed, and the rest are left for wintering.

Works done in autumn

Autumn is a long-awaited time of rest for a beekeeper. It remains only to complete the work already begun. For example, finish building families. You also need to collect damaged and other defective honeycombs, sending them for remelting.

Entrance doors no longer open fully - onlyhalf. Thanks to this, rain and cold wind will not cause unnecessary problems for the bees.

In October, if several sunny days are expected, open the notch completely so that the bees make their last flight of the year. After that, shortly before the first real frosts, you can remove the bees to the previously prepared loom for the winter.

We also do not sit idle in winter

Don't think that a beekeeper has nothing to do in winter. No, proper bee care lasts all year round. In winter, you can perform work for which there is usually no time left in spring and summer. For example, clean old hives, if necessary, paint them if they are very peeling in the sun.

The same can be said about old frames - clean them of mold and wax residues, prepare them so that in the spring you can immediately put them into action without wasting extra time, which is especially appreciated in a hot season.

At this time, the hives themselves are stored in the omshanik. It is important to ensure that the temperature here is in the range from -2 to +2 degrees Celsius. If it gets colder, the bees won't be able to keep warm and will get sick. If the temperature is higher, then the bees will not go into winter mode, they will be active, they will consume a lot of honey. It will not be enough until spring - you will have to additionally feed. The optimum air humidity is 75-85%. With low humidity, the bees begin to get sick - dryness affects their respiratory system. High humidity often leads to mold and related infections.

Check in several times a weekomshanik to listen to the hives, determine if everything is in order there. It will not be superfluous to put several mousetraps and check them regularly - having found a source of honey, some mice actively use the drowsiness of bees and feast on sweetness.

Conclusion

Now you know enough about beekeeping. The above information is enough to complete all the main annual work, get a rich harvest of honey and at the same time provide the bees with a comfortable, even happy life.