If you sure are ready to start beekeeping as a hobby, business, or study, then you will have thought about the needed hives and the equipment, which means your next step is to get your bees, which to some people is confusing, because they are lots of ways to get them.
-Purchase a Colony-
You can purchase an entire colony either from a local beekeeper or beekeeping product suppliers. If you are a real beginner, this maybe the ideal way to getting your honey bees, but can be the most expensive way. The colony will contain a queen, workers, drones, and frames of honeycomb with brood. It will even contain some honey for the bees.
-Purchasing a Nucleus-
When you purchase a hive nucleus, you are given a queen and a few frames of worker bees with a small foundation. You will be given 5 frames, which is a good start for your hive, but is a bit slower than if you purchase the whole colony.
-The Package-
This can also be purchased from a local beekeeper or breeder. It will have a queen and about three pounds of worker bees only. This means you will need to feed the bees with some type of syrup until they feel comfortable to work for themselves.
-The Swarm-
This is probably the most economical way of getting your bees, but it is also the riskiest, and very hard. This is the method where you catch your own swarm. As a beginner this is not the best option because you are not used to the way bees react, or whether they have been Africanized, or not. Swarms can carry diseases, or even mites, and these will be hard for a beginner to deal with.
-The right time to acquire bees-
April or May is the right time to start your hive. If you will consider purchasing them, order them in advice, to be delivered in the spring. When you buy bees later than June, then you risk them not having enough time to make enough honey for their winter and thus surviving. This meaning that the bees will be lost and the money you invested as well.
-The Money Needed-
Once you have an idea of how the bee keeping process works you then need to research on the cost of bees. This way you can prepare a budget. Generally speaking your start up may run from about $500.00 to over $1,000.00 but this depends on the number of bees you buy and the hives as well.
-So What Should You Expect?-
You shouldn't expect to make your money back on that first year's investment. It is going to take a while for a colony to get big and to build up its strength, and even then not every beekeeper is successful in a year. Sometimes it maybe natural, so don't be afraid in starting all over again, if you lose the bees. You just have to chuck it up to a learning experience.
-Purchase a Colony-
You can purchase an entire colony either from a local beekeeper or beekeeping product suppliers. If you are a real beginner, this maybe the ideal way to getting your honey bees, but can be the most expensive way. The colony will contain a queen, workers, drones, and frames of honeycomb with brood. It will even contain some honey for the bees.
-Purchasing a Nucleus-
When you purchase a hive nucleus, you are given a queen and a few frames of worker bees with a small foundation. You will be given 5 frames, which is a good start for your hive, but is a bit slower than if you purchase the whole colony.
-The Package-
This can also be purchased from a local beekeeper or breeder. It will have a queen and about three pounds of worker bees only. This means you will need to feed the bees with some type of syrup until they feel comfortable to work for themselves.
-The Swarm-
This is probably the most economical way of getting your bees, but it is also the riskiest, and very hard. This is the method where you catch your own swarm. As a beginner this is not the best option because you are not used to the way bees react, or whether they have been Africanized, or not. Swarms can carry diseases, or even mites, and these will be hard for a beginner to deal with.
-The right time to acquire bees-
April or May is the right time to start your hive. If you will consider purchasing them, order them in advice, to be delivered in the spring. When you buy bees later than June, then you risk them not having enough time to make enough honey for their winter and thus surviving. This meaning that the bees will be lost and the money you invested as well.
-The Money Needed-
Once you have an idea of how the bee keeping process works you then need to research on the cost of bees. This way you can prepare a budget. Generally speaking your start up may run from about $500.00 to over $1,000.00 but this depends on the number of bees you buy and the hives as well.
-So What Should You Expect?-
You shouldn't expect to make your money back on that first year's investment. It is going to take a while for a colony to get big and to build up its strength, and even then not every beekeeper is successful in a year. Sometimes it maybe natural, so don't be afraid in starting all over again, if you lose the bees. You just have to chuck it up to a learning experience.
About the Author:
You welcome to visit: How to Get Into Beekeeping plus The Advantages Of Beekeeping for more reviewed information.
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