How to do Beekeeping ?

The Beekeepers Year

What to do and when - A helpful guide for new beekeepers

MONTH	December, January & February
What to Do	Monitor hive entrance for build up of dead bees and blockage. Wedge up the back of the hive to ensure the floor slopes gently forwards. Repair Woodpecker and other damage to stop wind / weather getting in. Ensure the roof is secure; bricks, blocks and/or a strap will do the job. Gently heft (lift) the hive to check food weight, if light put block of Candy over the feedhole, a shallow eke may be needed. Record your observations for each Hive in a book each time you visit; more reliable than a memory!
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Record Book. Ply, foam, Drawing pins etc. Straps, Bricks, wedge. Candy in tubs or blocks, Shallow Eke to allow candy block over Crown Board.

MONTH	March
What to Do	During early March continue to monitor the Hive entrance for damage by weather or attack, Animal or Human! Pay close attention to weight of the hive if weather is warming up the colony should be growing quickly and food consumption will increase considerably, replace Candy block if consumed. Later on consider giving a weak Syrup (weather dependent).
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. As above Later in the month possibly a liquid feeder and syrup. Record Book.

MONTH	April
What to Do	The colony should be growing very quickly now so food supply will need to be maintained if the hive is light. Feed if required with half strength Syrup. On a warm day remove the Eke, Entrance Block and Mouse Guard if fitted. Change the Floor for a clean one prepared during winter. Later remove the Feeder and put on a Queen Excluder and a Super(s) if required to give space for the growing numbers. Insert Varroa treatment for 42 Days only (2 Brood Cycles). Remove before Honey flows into the Supers. Be vigilant Swarming can begin in late April! Consider one or more 'Bait hives' in the Apiary to catch Swarms.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Feeder and Syrup. Varroa Treatment. Clean sound floor with no gaps for Wax Moth to occupy, preferably 'flamed'. Varroa Treatment Queen Excluder and Super/s. Sterilise your extractor for use / consider upgrade. Bag for rubbish removal. Bait Hive and Swarm Lure. Record Book.

MONTH	May
What to Do	Begin thorough and regular inspections of the Brood Comb. Work old comb to the outside so that it can be removed and replaced. Old comb harbours disease and should be replaced systematically as good practice. Aim to change 35% per annum. If necessary remove outside frames clogged with food. These can be given back in the Autumn after storing in the freezer. Ensure enough food and Pollen remains in the brood Chamber. Place new frames and Foundation either side of the brood nest to allow the Queen to increase her nest size. Congestion can cause swarming. Additional Supers may now be required. Remove Varroa treatment before honey flow into supers. Consider one or more 'Bait hives' in the Apiary to catch Swarms.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. New Frames and Foundation. Spare Brood Chamber/s for carrying Frames in and out of Apiary. Spare Supers ready to use or to exchange for extraction. Bait Hives & Swarm Lures. Bag for rubbish removal. Record Book.

MONTH	June
What to Do	Continue to examine (and if possible exchange) Brood Frames for any signs of disease or swarming. The brood should be able to occupy most of the Brood Chamber this month. Swarming will continue through June so you will have to continue to be vigilant. You may be able to take off some frames of capped Honey or even complete Supers, ensure you have empty Frames or Supers to replace those taken.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Record Book. New Brood Frames and Foundation. Spare Supers with Frames and Foundation. Bee Escapes for clearing Supers. Bee Brush.

MONTH	July & August
What to Do	Swarming should be over by early July allowing the Colony and you to concentrate on collecting Nectar. The Honey for harvesting and the Queen Excluder should be taken off in early August allowing the bees to collect what little remains for themselves and Varroa strips to be put in for 42 days (2 Brood Cycles) Early August insert Entrance block to reduce entrances so the diminishing colony can defend against Wasps.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Record Book. Spare Supers with Frames and Foundation. Bee Escapes for clearing Supers. Bee Brush. Varroa Strips. Entrance Blocks.

MONTH	September
What to Do	It is time now to feed the colony for the winter replacing the Honey taken. This is done by adding 1 Kg bag of Granulated Sugar to a pint of water and heating until all the sugar is in solution, add Fumidil B for Nosema. The colony will need at least 15Kg (more for the bigger hives) of this Syrup to make it through the cold months ahead. Feeding needs to be completed before the end of the month allowing the colony to process off the excess water. Remove Varroa strips after 42 days. Fit a mouse guard to the entrance.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Record Book. Feeder and Syrup with Fumadil B. Feeders. Large Eke for bucket type feeders.

MONTH	October, November December
What to Do	With all the required syrup now in the brood chamber all should be well for winter. Fit a mouse guard to the entrance if not done already. Strap and or weigh down the roof against winter wind. Monitor the now small entrance regularly for the build up of dead bees. Bees are dying all the time and just a few can block the entrance leaving the others unable to get out for water or toileting. Unchecked a few dead bees can lead to the loss of the whole colony. Keep a regular check for Woodpecker damage or rain getting in. Be aware that deer or other animals could knock the hive over rubbing against to satisfy an itch. Feeding should not be required yet but keep an emergency block of Candy with you just in case, Most of the colonies that die out are due to starvation. Most important remember bees are Livestock and we have a duty to look after them as best we can.
Essential Equipment	Protective Clothing, Smoker, Hive Tools. Record Book. Blocks or bricks. Straps. Mouse guards. Ply, foam, Drawing pins etc. Straps, Bricks, wedge. Candy in tubs or blocks. Books Videos and magazines.

Sources
http://www.beekeeping.co.uk/beekeepers_guide.htm

How do you get Bees ?

Aside from the physical structure of the hive, the most essential bee keeping supplies are the queen bee and bees.

Bees can be obtained in the form of a nuc or a package.

Both of these can help beginners and established bee keepers alike flourish in the beekeeping business.

What Is A Nuc?

A nuc, essentially a 'nucleus hive', is a simple and small beehive. Usually, this will have three to five brood frames with bees and queen. The queen in the hive would have started laying eggs and comb would be ready to build. You will get a nuc in a cardboard box and it will have a young queen and bees that weigh several pounds. There will also be some honey and pollen stores that are generally four weeks old. This really gives you a head start in establishing your bee enterprise, and is often favored by experienced beekeepers.

Pros

The Nuc is already from a successful hive and the queen bee has started laying eggs.
The Nuc will contain bees of all ages and broods along with eggs.
Comb is partially formed and hence, bees will start making honey sooner.

Cons

The Nuc will be available mostly after the spring season.
Diseases, pests and mite problems may be present in the existing hive, which could then be transferred to your establishment.

Nucs can be purchased only locally and they are not shipped.
Quality of queen may be bad and the bees may not thrive in your neighborhood.
High quality nucs are usually expensive.

Package Bees

Package bees are shipped in wire cages and the bees will be ready to form colonies. You can get package bees in various weights. The queen bee and packaged bees will not be a colony. You have to introduce the package bees to the separately grown queen bee, and hope they get along well. If you feed the bees well, they will soon start a colony.

Pros

Beginners can start working with fewer bees.
You will get healthy bees as packaged bees must be certified before sale.
Sugar roll is sufficient to drive away mites for the entire package.

Cons

High quality bees may be available only during certain seasons.
Bees will find it stressful initially to get along with new queen and start a colony.
Until the hive is formed, the queen will not lay eggs and there will be no brood.
More care must be taken to ensure that all bees are healthy and fully fed.


Once you've gotten your bees in the form of a nuc or package, you should pay attention to good hive management. Bees must not be exposed to too much heat and they must be fed with sugar syrup by spraying or painting the cage twice a day. You have to gently pour and shake the bees from the package into your hive, and this is best done in the afternoon. You can insert the nuc frames directly into your hive equipment. The queen cage must be hanged properly, providing ample space for the queen to move from one cell to another.

Sources

http://beekeepingequipment.org/beekeepingsupplies/

What are Beekeeping Equipments

Bee keeping is an exciting hobby when you have the right beekeeping equipment. Not only will you be able to produce your own local, high quality honey, but many bee keepers find working with their bees very therapeutic and relaxing. You may even be able to make a bit of extra money by selling honey either online or in your local area. Anyone who has the willingness to learn how to work with bees and understand how to make them cooperate has the ability to become a beekeeper. The following article describes the beekeeping equipment you need to start your own hobby or cottage industry.


Beekeeping Equipment - Bee Hive

A bee hive is the most essential equipment to start beekeeping. It consists of the following parts:

Hive stand that elevates the bee hive, providing ventilation.Bottom board which forms the bottom of the hive.

Entrance reducer that limits access to the bees and also provides ventilation and temperature control.

Deep hive body is usually made of ten frames of honey comb. Lower deep is the brood chamber and upper deep is the food chamber for your bee colony.

Queen excluder is an additional fitting that is used only during honey season to prevent the queen bee from using the honey super to lay eggs and pollute honey for your use.

Honey super is the area where surplus honey will be collected. It is better to use a shallow honey super if you are getting started. Experienced beekeepers use medium honey supers which weigh around 80 pounds when full.

Wooden frame with a foundation is where honey will be collected. There will be ten frames in each hive and you have to use the appropriate equipment to assemble the frame. The foundation can be either plastic or beeswax, and must be inserted into every frame.

Inner cover covers the hive and has space for ventilation.

Strong outer cover, usually made of a layer of galvanized steel, which protects your hive from outside elements. To form your hive, you should assemble all the components in the right order. You may be inspecting a few components from time to time and hence, before starting to transfer bees onto the hive, practice assembling and removing the hive. You can buy a starter kit which comes with all the hardware, such as nails and foundation pins, needed for the assembly.

Beekeeping Equipment - Feeders

Feeders must be used to feed your bees with sugar syrup when nectar flow is minimal. This must be used in the first few weeks of beekeeping. A hive top feeder is placed on the upper deep brood chamber. An entrance feeder is placed at the entrance of the hive. A pail feeder is placed at the oval hole on the inner cover. A baggy feeder is placed on the top bars. A frame feeder is placed along with frames in the upper deep hive.

Beekeeping Equipment - Smoker

The bee smoker is a humble device that directs smoke from the fuel chamber into the hive. This will calm the bees and give you enough time to inspect the hive.

Beekeeping Equipment - Hive Tool

Hive tools are useful for scraping wax, loosen hive parts, and manipulate frames.

Beekeeping Equipment - Veil

A veil is an important part of protective bee-proof clothing, designed to protect your face and neck. These veils protect you from bee stings and they must be worn whenever you are inspecting your hive, particularly when starting out. Gloves can also be considered an important part of bee proof clothing.

Sources
http://beekeepingequipment.org/

How to Eat Honeycomb

Comb honey is usually sold in small 1/2- to 1 lb.-blocks in a special plastic container or immersed in a large jar of extracted honey. Comb honey is the purest kind of honey, still sealed in the wax by the bees themselves, totally raw and never touched by human hands.

Eating comb honey is a real joy that few people have had the opportunity to try. The comb can be eaten as is or the honey can easily be removed from the comb. The procedure is fun, slightly sticky, and very tasty.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Honeycomb

Large shallow bowl

Large spoon

Strainer

Fork

Jar

Eating Comb Honey

1 Cut a bite-sized piece of honeycomb from the block. Pop it in your mouth and chew it like chewing gum. This will release all of the honey. You can eat the wax if you like, or remove it once the honey is gone.

2 To extract the honey, place a portion of the honeycomb on its edge in a shallow bowl that is large enough to hold any honey released.

3 Crush the honey comb gently with the back of a large spoon. Press the wax in the comb down repeatedly so that it wads up in the bottom of the bowl. As the wax is pressed, each cell in the comb will break open, releasing the honey into the bowl.

4 Lift the wax from the bowl with a fork once all of the honey is extracted. Place a strainer over the bowl and put the wax in it to allow it to drain.

5 Remove the strainer and discard the wax, or rinse it off and store it for future projects such as candle making. Use the fork to remove any remaining bits of wax from the honey. Use the honey immediately or store it in a jar for later.

Sources

http://www.ehow.com/how_5618626_eat-honeycomb.html

Is Honeycomb Edible ?

A honeycomb is the amazing structure that bees build with honey. It can also be called beeswax and it is edible. Some people consider it a delicacy to eat the honeycomb, since it could be called extra-concentrated honey. It takes about 16 grams of honey to produce a gram of the waxy structure that makes up the honeycomb. Others eat honeycomb of specific types in the hope that it will reduce seasonal allergies. There’s very little evidence to support that this works, but it may be the tastiest remedy for allergies.

When beekeepers harvest honey, they remove sections of the comb and place it in a centrifuge machine to remove the liquid honey that drips from each hexagon in the comb. Some people object to this, and it’s virtually impossible to make cruelty free honey. A few bees do get stuck in the comb sections and are killed during this process. Vegans may abstain from eating honey products for this reason. It’s extremely important to keep the bee population up in order to sustain an active hive, so while there may be a few bees that inadvertently get into the comb when it’s processed, beekeepers do try to keep this to a minimum.

Scientists and just about anyone who’s looked at a honeycomb absolutely marvel at its structure. Typically, each piece of the comb is hexagonal (six-sided), with a precise 120-degree angle for each side. This can bend a bit when the comb is cut or processed, but the pattern is almost identical between one hexagon and the next. People are amazed at the precision with which bees build each section of the comb, but the size is important for the bees. They store food there, excrete honey into the comb and use each comb to raise young bees. Precision in architecture is likely involved in survival of the bee population.

You can find honeycomb at natural foods stores, some specialty markets, and sometimes at local farmer’s markets. It’s definitely worth trying. As a food for people, honeycomb doesn’t have a lot of practical applications, though honey certainly is an excellent sweetener. Other animals, particularly brown and black bears do consume honeycomb when they can get it. Although to take it as bears do, straight from the hive, is not suggested for people who are not in appropriate safety clothing. As many know, bees are not very forgiving.

Sources
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-honeycomb.htm

What does a Honeycomb look like ?

What is Beekeeping ?

Beekeeping (or apiculture, from Latin apis, bee) is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans.

A beekeeper (or apiarist) keeps bees in order to collect honey and beeswax, to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers.

A location where bees are kept is called an apiary or "bee yard".

Apiculture means scientific method of rearing insects that can produce honey and wax.

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beekeeping

How is Honeycomb structured ?

The axes of honeycomb cells are always quasi-horizontal, and the non-angled rows of honeycomb cells are always horizontally (not vertically) aligned. Thus, each cell has two vertical walls, with "floors" and "ceilings" composed of two angled walls. The cells slope slightly upwards, between 9 and 14 degrees, towards the open ends.

There are two possible explanations for the reason that honeycomb is composed of hexagons, rather than any other shape. One, given by Jan Brożek, is that the hexagon tiles the plane with minimal surface area. Thus a hexagonal structure uses the least material to create a lattice of cells within a given volume. Another, given by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, is that the shape simply results from the process of individual bees putting cells together: somewhat analogous to the boundary shapes created in a field of soap bubbles. In support of this he notes that queen cells, which are constructed singly, are irregular and lumpy with no apparent attempt at efficiency.

The closed ends of the honeycomb cells are also an example of geometric efficiency, albeit three-dimensional and little-noticed. The ends are trihedral (i.e., composed of three planes) sections of rhombic dodecahedra, with the dihedral angles of all adjacent surfaces measuring 120°, the angle that minimizes surface area for a given volume. (The angle formed by the edges at the pyramidal apex is approximately 109° 28' 16" (= 180° - arccos(1/3)).)

The shape of the cells is such that two opposing honeycomb layers nest into each other, with each facet of the closed ends being shared by opposing cells.

Individual cells do not, of course, show this geometric perfection: in a regular comb, there are deviations of a few percent from the "perfect" hexagonal shape. In transition zones between the larger cells of drone comb and the smaller cells of worker comb, or when the bees encounter obstacles, the shapes are often distorted.In 1965, László Fejes Tóth discovered that the trihedral pyramidal shape (which is composed of three rhombi) used by the honeybee is not the theoretically optimal three-dimensional geometry. A cell end composed of two hexagons and two smaller rhombuses would actually be .035% (or approximately 1 part per 2850) more efficient. This difference is too minute to measure on an actual honeycomb, and irrelevant to the hive economy in terms of efficient use of wax, considering that wild comb varies considerably from any mathematical notion of "ideal" geometry.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeycomb

What is a Honeycomb ?

A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal wax cells built byhoney bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.

Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvesthoney. Honey bees consume about 8.4 pounds of honey to secrete one pound of wax, so it makes economic sense to return the wax to the hive after harvesting the honey, commonly called "pulling honey" or "robbing the bees" by beekeepers.

The structure of the comb may be left basically intact when honey is extracted from it by uncapping and spinning in a centrifugal machine—thehoney extractor. Fresh, new comb is sometimes sold and used intact as comb honey, especially if the honey is being spread on bread rather than used in cooking or to sweeten tea.

Broodcomb becomes dark over time, because of the cocoons embedded in the cells and the tracking of many feet, called travel stain by beekeepers when seen on frames of comb honey. Honeycomb in the "supers" that are not allowed to be used for brood (e.g. by the placement of aqueen excluder) stays light coloured.

Numerous wasps, especially polistinae and vespinae, construct hexagonal prism packed combs made of paper instead of wax; and in some species (like Brachygastra mellifica), honey is stored in the nest, thus technically forming a paper honeycomb. However, the term "honeycomb" is not often used for such structures.

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeycomb