If you are thinking of keeping bees as a hobby or as a sideline business, below is a quick guide to raising bees because there are things you should know before making a start.
Some money is needed to start raising bees, but before you start investing money, you might want contact beekeepers in your area, who will be happy in helping you out and in most cases point you in the right direction for local beekeeping equipment.
Clothing and Equipment Needed For Beekeeping
The veil is the most important clothing for beekeeping. Bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the possibility of damage to the eyes and ears.
Wear white or light colored coveralls. If you are not using boots, do not wear dark socks. Boots that fasten over the coveralls or in the coveralls should be worn, A wind breaker jacket will help you to avoid being stung. Pants, veil, sleeves should be fasten securely so that the bees don't get in the clothes.
You will need at least one hive, again a great place to start looking for equipment will be with local beekeepers or beekeeping societies from your area.
This equipment cab be bought either used or new. But if you buy used equipment make sure its in great condition, also get it examined by the Apiary Inspection Service for any possibility of disease. The normal price for beekeeping equipment is $250-$450.
You can also build you very own bee hives, which isn't to difficult, if you have the time, just make sure you have the dimensions correct because bees will build combs in places you don't want them to.
Getting the Bees
There are quiet a number of ways to get bees, no matter which method you choose the right time to buy bees is spring, established colonies will cost you more, but they can be worth the extra money.
The Package Bees
The package of bees consists of 2 or 3 pounds of bees, and a queen in a separate cage (Beginners should be able to handle them easily)
Introducing a New Queen
The most common practice of introducing a new queen requires an introductory period of about three days, the queen is placed in a cage and is fed by the colony bees though the wire gauze covering the cage. The only way she is let go is by the worker bees eating a candy entrance or the beekeeper can decide to release the queen into the colony manually.
The success of the colony depends largely on the quality of the queen. As a beekeeper you may notice a difference in the production of honey from one colony to the next. The difference in production can depend on several factors, one of which is the queen.
It is obvious that guide is just a quick look at what's required, my advice is to do your homework before you start purchasing equipment, get all the information so you can make an informed decision as to whether raising bees is right for you.
Some money is needed to start raising bees, but before you start investing money, you might want contact beekeepers in your area, who will be happy in helping you out and in most cases point you in the right direction for local beekeeping equipment.
Clothing and Equipment Needed For Beekeeping
The veil is the most important clothing for beekeeping. Bee stings on the face can be very painful and there is the possibility of damage to the eyes and ears.
Wear white or light colored coveralls. If you are not using boots, do not wear dark socks. Boots that fasten over the coveralls or in the coveralls should be worn, A wind breaker jacket will help you to avoid being stung. Pants, veil, sleeves should be fasten securely so that the bees don't get in the clothes.
You will need at least one hive, again a great place to start looking for equipment will be with local beekeepers or beekeeping societies from your area.
This equipment cab be bought either used or new. But if you buy used equipment make sure its in great condition, also get it examined by the Apiary Inspection Service for any possibility of disease. The normal price for beekeeping equipment is $250-$450.
You can also build you very own bee hives, which isn't to difficult, if you have the time, just make sure you have the dimensions correct because bees will build combs in places you don't want them to.
Getting the Bees
There are quiet a number of ways to get bees, no matter which method you choose the right time to buy bees is spring, established colonies will cost you more, but they can be worth the extra money.
The Package Bees
The package of bees consists of 2 or 3 pounds of bees, and a queen in a separate cage (Beginners should be able to handle them easily)
Introducing a New Queen
The most common practice of introducing a new queen requires an introductory period of about three days, the queen is placed in a cage and is fed by the colony bees though the wire gauze covering the cage. The only way she is let go is by the worker bees eating a candy entrance or the beekeeper can decide to release the queen into the colony manually.
The success of the colony depends largely on the quality of the queen. As a beekeeper you may notice a difference in the production of honey from one colony to the next. The difference in production can depend on several factors, one of which is the queen.
It is obvious that guide is just a quick look at what's required, my advice is to do your homework before you start purchasing equipment, get all the information so you can make an informed decision as to whether raising bees is right for you.
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