What You Need to Know About Beekeeping
Only the Western European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the Eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) are kept in man-made hives. For years, man killed and plundered bee colonies to get their honey and wax, but through the years we have developed efficient ways to work with honey bees instead of against them.
Knowing the potential pitfalls and having an action plan are important first steps. Begin with a specific area’s natural characteristics and progress to city, county, and state issues. Each is equally important and can stop potential beekeepers in their tracks if all the proper channels are not followed.
Getting Started
Once the decision has been made to become a beekeeper, there are many crucial factors to consider. The first is choosing the best time of year.
The Beekeeper Buzz
“The best time of year to begin beekeeping really depends on where you live, but spring is best,” said Ilse Ackermann, a veteran California beekeeper. “This way, the bees have spring, summer, and fall to build up their stores to survive the winter.”
For best results, plan to have all your hives built and bees ordered in time for an early spring arrival. Preparing for the bees ahead of time is not only smart for the bees’ survival, but it makes the steps run smoother for you as the beekeeper. Following the natural course of a bee’s life will make for the easiest beekeeping process.
Another important consideration is the location of the apiary. If the apiary is located in a private backyard, there are several factors to consider: Will there be nectar- and pollen-producing, flowering plants nearby? Is the site private and away from neighbors? And will there be shade and wind protection? From low spots in the yard to overexposure, there are a number of details that can make a difference.
Case Study: Beekeeping 101
Ed Colby
Writer and Beekeeper
Before starting beekeeping as a hobby or career, check with your local agriculture department. Some states might require a special license or permit.
Some of the problems that can occur in the first year of beekeeping include poorly mated queens (they do not lay enough eggs), diseases, parasites, and spring frosts that kill flowers. Spring, when the hives are building in population, is the best time to begin beekeeping. It is important to begin the prep work any time during the year, but spring is the best time to install the bees and begin maintenance.
Three of the most frequently asked questions by new beekeepers are: what do the eggs look like; how much honey should be left for bees to survive during the winter; and how long can bees survive on the sugar water?
The answers to these questions are fairly straightforward, but other questions that have to do with disease prevention are not. Once a beekeeper has a situation occur with disease and pests, he or she searches for a way to prevent any and all diseases. Quite simply, there is no surefire way to keep disease and pests away. It is a constant battle.
For the new beekeeper, detecting eggs can be tricky. They look like miniscule grains of rice. They are hard to see, but once you get the hang of it, you can find them easily. Honey is valuable, and here in Colorado, I try to leave a couple of mostly full-brood supers to get them through the winter. It can be hard for newbies to tell which cells have honey and which have brood; again, it takes a little practice. One rule of thumb is that brood cells are convex. Helping your colony survive the winter is an important part of maintenance, and bees generally do well on sugar water. The amount of time they need will depend on the duration of your winters.
My hive tool — which I use to pry open honey supers, bee frames, and lids — is my most valued tool. It is essential, and every serious beekeeper needs one. As for using protective gear, I always wear a veil. I only wear gloves when the girls are agitated, and if they are really in a mood, which is rare, I don a bee suit.
One of the biggest mistakes a new beekeeper can make is worrying too much about the little darlings. They live and die in spite of all we do for them and to them.
Ed Colby writes a humor and human-interest column for Bee Culture magazine. He has been a beekeeper since 1995 with more than 60 hives. He sells honey and pollen, and rents bees for orchard pollination. He got his start as a beekeeper because he wanted to have reliable pollinators for his sweet cherry orchards.
Equipment and Cost
Beekeepers need specific equipment and tools, which can be expensive. Used equipment is not recommended, so expect to spend a few hundred dollars in the beginning. The more elaborate the equipment, the more expensive the start-up fees.
Basic costs
The start-up costs for a new beekeeper will depend on the size of the operation. The basic equipment for just one hive will cost $150 to $300. A package of bees — which numbers about 3,000 — and a queen cost $65 to $70. The equipment to extract the honey varies. The cost of an uncapping knife, a tub for uncapping, a storage tank, and a strainer is about $100. The expense is in the honey extractor, which can cost $250 to thousands of dollars. It is best to hold off on the purchase of a honey extractor until the decision has been made to stay in the beekeeping business. For the beginner, with just one or two hives, there will be local beekeeping association groups that are usually willing to loan their equipment and even help with the first extraction.
Hive
The beehive is more than a box full of bees. It is the bees’ home and must be built to specification, if they are to be as productive as possible. The beekeeping boxes that are purchased or made are meant to impersonate the bees’ natural hive. The boxes are made of several sections to give the bees ample room to work and live, as well as give the beekeeper room to maintain the hive adequately.
At one time, man made hives were primarily “fixed frame,” and in order to remove the honey, the comb had to be destroyed. “Movable frames” are popular now and allow for the removal of layers of the hive and the honey without destroying the hive and comb.
Traditionally there have been three types of hives: tile, skeps, and bee gums. Tile allowed the bees to thrive in baked-clay tiles. Skeps were grasses or reeds woven together in a single-section container. To harvest the honey, the skeps were squeezed until honey dropped out, and later the bees were destroyed. Gums were constructed from hollow trees — often the red gum tree. This type also required eradication of the colony to extract the honey.
Modern hives have the bees’ natural tendencies in mind and work in conjunction with their innate habits and movements. There are two types widely used today, and both are movable frames: the Langstroth and other top-bar hives, and leaf hives (which open and are worked from the back). Langstroth hives and those similar to it can be placed anywhere. They can be in an apiary, in a neighborhood, or in a farm field. Leaf hives are kept inside a bee house. Because of the need for a bee house, Leaf Hives are not popular choices among beginning beekeepers.
Rev. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth invented the movable frame hives. He introduced and patented his design in 1852, and it is now used by more than 75 percent of beekeepers in the world. Over the years, modifications have been made, such as changes in the size and number of layers, but it is the same basic idea designed by Langstroth. This type of hive was also instrumental in cutting back on the use of propolis by bees. Langstroth incorporated the discovery of “bee space” into his design. The bee space is the observation that bees cover spaces less than ¼ inch — such as between boards — with propolis, and they will fill larger spaces with wax.
Top-bar hives are similar in structure, but are built more simply. They are used by some people in the United States but are most often found in developing countries. They have top bars, no sides, or bottom. There is no foundation for the bees to build their comb upon. Instead, the bees build the comb so that it hangs from the top bar. Bees are encouraged to raise their brood in a separate part of the hive so that honey can be extracted without loss of bees.
The basic, movable frame hive consists of about seven sections. The outer portion of the hive, which is most visible to onlookers, is the hive outer cover, which provides protection from the adverse weather conditions.
Just inside the outer cover is the inner cover. It is necessary for insulation, but also to prevent bees from building a comb directly to the outer cover. At the top of the beehive, inside the inner and outer covers, are the honey supers. This is where the bees store their honey surpluses and where they are harvested. Each box, or “super,” is filled with 10 frames. The bees fill the frames with comb and honey, and the honey they use to live off is stored elsewhere. Feeders are usually attached to the top of these supers. Feeders provide food for the bees when the nectar flow is low, such as during the fall and winter months.
In many beehives, there will be a queen excluder as a divider. It keeps the queen in the brood box so that she will not lay eggs in the honey supers. This does not usually happen, however, and is not even necessary if there are two hive bodies. The queen excluder is a piece of wood that is placed between the honey super and the brood box or hive body. The workers can squeeze through, but the queen is too big.
Hive bodies are the boxes in the hive that contain most of the excitement. They are deep supers that have ten frames inside with foundations for the bees to build their comb. This is where the bees raise their brood and store the honey for their own use. One hive body will serve a colony well, but those in colder climates with rougher winters often use two.
The bottom board is just that: the bottom of the hive. It rests on the hive stand, which has a sloped landing pad that makes it easy for the bees to land and walk into the hive.
Frames and foundation are also needed for the hive. The frames are the thin, wooden pieces that fit into each super in the hive. They have sheets of foundation that serve as a starter kit for the bees to begin building their comb. The foundation has prefabricated hexagonal shapes that the bees use to guide them when making the wax cells for the comb. Most bee suppliers coat these foundations with a thin layer of wax so the bees will not have to expend too much energy getting started.
Movable frame hives
There are many advantages to using movable frame hives. The first advantage is that it eliminates the need for a bee house; second, it offers the ability to adjust the number of supers and brood boxes in the hive; and third, it allows nucleus colonies to form by using a queen excluder when adding more supers.
Photograph provided by FDACS-DPI (University of Florida)
Colonies in a movable frame hive grow stronger and produce more honey. The most notable disadvantage of movable frame hives is the weight.
Leaf hives
Leaf hives have frames that are removed from the back of the hive. The back opens like a large hinged door, and the frames sit inside vertically. There are two sections of the vertical frames or leaves, which are divided by a metal grid. The brood frames are above the grid, and the honey frames are below. Worker bees can easily pass through the metal grid to work the entire hive, but the queen bee is too large and stays in the brood nest. The frames are covered with a wooden frame containing a glass window.
Leaf hives are not without their certain advantages as well. One great advantage is that they are excellent space savers. They can be stacked on top of each other in bee houses; they can be worked while sitting down. This allows older or handicapped beekeepers to enjoy their hobby more comfortably.
The biggest disadvantage of the leaf hives is that they must be inside a bee house. A bee house is a structure that is large enough to contain the hives and the beekeeper while he or she works the hives. The house offers convenience and protection from the weather; it hold the hives, the tools, and equipment you use to keep the bees. It can also have a separate workroom and honey extraction room. Bees are a bit more trouble to handle in this type of hive because they can fall off into a tray. The tray, however, can ease the bee’s entry back into the hive, and thus is a necessary tool for this type of hive.
Smoker
Beekeeping without a smoker is a tedious experience. The main purpose of a smoker is to confuse the bees and make communication among them difficult. Like most other insects, bees will become frightened at the first signs of fire. As smoke is puffed into the hive, the bees deep inside the hive begin to stuff themselves with honey in preparation of impeding flight, should fire engulf the hive. The bees become so preoccupied by the threat of fire that they are no longer concerned about intruders. The bees at the entrance will frantically give off their warning pheromone, but the smoke will disguise the scent and prevent it from spreading to the other bees.
Light your smoker by inserting a loosely crumpled piece of newspaper. Once lit, use the bellows to stoke the flame enough to catch a few small pieces of wood chips. When the flame is stronger, add larger wood chips. Another great fuel source are cow chips; they burn long and hardily. Certain fuels like pine straw, burlap, and grass tend to smoke better than others.
Do not lift the top without first covering the closed hive with smoke. The smoke will seep into the cracks and crevices of the hive and begin to affect the bees. When the hive is open, continue to smoke the bees, then put the smoker nearby so that the smoke wafts throughout the hive. Pay attention to the color, feel, and density of the smoke that emanates from the smoker. It should be a cool, white puff, thick and cloud-like.
The Beekeeper Buzz
“The smoker is my best friend,” said Howland Blackiston, beekeeping expert and author. “Smoke calms the bees and allows for safe inspection of the hives. The smoker is a fire chamber with bellows designed to produce lots of smoke. Learn how to light it so that it stays lit, and never overdo the smoking process — a little smoke goes a long way.”
Smokers are also used to herd bees in a certain direction. Pay attention to the direction the wind is blowing when your intention is to get the bees to move from one place to the other. Just the right amount of smoke should be used to encourage movement. Bees must have a clear sense of where they can go for a fresh breath. If there is too much smoke, this will cause the bees to become disoriented and unable to find the smoke-free areas.
A general-purpose smoker is approximately 4 by 7 inches. It should have a hook connected to the bellows so that it can be attached to a belt. A seasoned smoker is easier to light than one that has never been lit. Do not clean or scrape tar from the smoker until it affects the weight and use.
When not in use, keep the smoker and the fuel in a watertight box in a cool, dry place, and keep a fire extinguisher handy. A fire extinguisher should always be kept near when fire of any type is in use.
Feeders
There are a variety of feeders on the market. They vary in levels of simplicity, and some can be made at home. The simplest type of bee feeder can be made from a pickle jar with holes poked in the lid.
Fill the jar with sugar-water syrup and replace the lid tightly. When the jar is turned over, just a few drops should appear, then the flow should stop. Take two thin pieces of wood to the hive and place them over the feeding slot; place the upside-down jar on top. Cover the feeder with an empty brood box or super and place the lid back on the hive. A small jar with the sugary syrup inside must be refilled every day. If your colony is strong, it can easily drain a small feeder in a day.
There are also round feeders, such as the Miller or the Ashforth. Bees enter from the bottom to get at the food. Using a round feeder requires a small amount of modification to the hive: A small-hive box should be placed around it to deter robber bees and other unwanted visitors. One caution for these types of feeders is that because they are made of wood, some insects, like wasps, will attempt to chew through the wood to get to the food syrup inside.
Begin feeding at night after the bees have returned home. Placing the feeder inside at night allows the bee to communicate with each other about the food source. After the initial feeding, the feeder can be refilled any time. Start feeding in late summer and continue for as long as necessary. This will depend on the types of plants that bloom throughout the winter.
Making bee candy is a fairly simple process. Heat half a gallon of water; gradually add a ½-pound of sugar; mix until the sugar begins to boil; let the mixture boil rapidly for about three minutes. Place the pan in a tub of cold water and let stand while continuing to stir until the mixture cools. Once the mixture begins to get cloudy, pour into small molds or into a large metal dish. Keep the molds in plastic bags in a cool, dry area until ready to use.
Hive tool
A hive tool is generally used for opening the hive and for removing propolis. This tool is absolutely indispensable for beekeepers.
Bee brush
A bee brush is used to gently brush bees off the hive when inspecting the frames. A gloved hand, or a tree branch with leaves also works, but a brush is less invasive.
The Beekeeper Buzz
“It is important to have all the proper tools and gear on hand before starting the installation,” said beekeeper Charles Parton. “Be sure to include, a hive tool, smoker, bee suit, gloves, and veil. Novice beekeepers might find the gloves and a veil are especially useful, until they get accustomed to their hives and bees.”
Clothing
A beekeeper should be conscious of his or her clothing. Not everyone wants to wear a bee suit, especially in the warmer climates; however, it is important to wear light colors and smooth textures. Bees are attracted to darker colors, especially black, blue, and red. Dark or heavy clothing such as wool can closely resemble a bear’s fur or any other marauding animal, which cause the bees to use protective stings in defense of its hive. Layering light clothing is also another great way to protect against stings.
Bee suit and bee jacket
A bee suit is a comfortable and durable one-piece suit made from cotton or polyester, and it has tightly cuffed ankles and wrists that fit snugly into boots and gloves. Some also have an attached hood and veil, or a ventilated, protective helmet. As much protection as they provide, bee suits are not completely impenetrable; there is always one steadfast bee that will find a way under a flap or beneath a cuff. A bee jacket with a hood and veil is a nice compromise. Less constricting and cooler, the jacket is a small investment for the protection it provides.
All photographs on this page are provided by FDACS-DPI (University of Florida)
Hood and veil
The bee veil and hood are exceptionally helpful. Bees, especially when in alarm mode, are attracted to noses, eyes and mouths, and they have a tendency to get tangled in hair. Wearing a bee veil and hat provides protection for the face and neck. A hood with a veil can be purchased separately, but a complete bee suit is recommended.
Gloves
Gloves are another good investment for every beginning beekeeper. They provide protection for the hands and upper arms. The gloves are made out of soft, pliable leather and offer a fair amount of feeling through them. Many experienced beekeepers discontinue using their gloves after they become familiar with the temperament and actions of their bees.
Bees
A beekeeper needs bees, obviously. There are two ways to get bees into your hive: buying or capturing them. Capturing bees is an option but not recommended, especially for the new beekeeper. Before bees are purchased from one of the many available bee suppliers, it is important to assemble all the necessary equipment. Plan to order your bees so that they can arrive in early spring — sometime between February and April.
A new beekeeper should start with approximately 2,500 to 3,000 bees and a queen. They arrive in a wooden, screened package. There is some degree of stress and agitation to the bees in the transportation process, so there might be an inch or so of dead bees in the bottom of the package. This is normal because the older and weaker bees will die from temperature and feeding issues during the trip.
A package of bees can be stored for a few days before installation into the hive. Have everything in place so that installation can begin no later than three days after the bees’ arrival. Any longer than three days is putting the colony at risk. When your package arrives, take a few precautionary steps to make sure that your bees remain alive during installation.
Bees increase their activity level when it is warm and sunny. Storing them in a cool, dry place keeps their activity to a minimum, saves their energy, and increases their chances of survival.
Keep them full by feeding them syrup, sugar water, or bee food. Although a can of sugar syrup is included in the shipment, not all the bees will have access to it. It is a good idea to spray the bees with a solution of sugar water every four to five hours.
Bees can be purchased from other beekeepers or through the mail. If you choose to buy your bees from another beekeeper, there are a few traits to look for before the purchase is complete, beginning with your observation of the bees. While observing them:
- Stand by the hive for a while and see how long it takes before they sense your presence. They should be used to a beekeeper and human company.
- Try to observe the bees on a sunny day. Make sure they are active and flying in and out of the hive entrance. This is an important sign of a healthy hive.
- The bees flying into the hive should also be laden with pollen. Ask the beekeeper to open the hive; this will provide some insight into the bees’ temperament.
Author’s Apiary
Joining beekeeping associations to learn more
There are three national beekeeping associations and 27 state beekeeping associations in the United States. Below the state level, the next groups are typically county or city associations; i.e. Alachua County Beekeepers Club (FL), Southwest Michigan Beekeepers Association, or Houston Beekeepers Association (TX). A great site to find a Bee Club in your area is www.honeyo.com.
What should you do if you cannot find a club nearby? You guessed it: Start your own. If you can find a group of people who are interested in bees and beekeeping and would like to meet regularly, you have a club; it could be that simple. Meet once a month, bring in speakers, talk about bees, and just have fun.
Take your time and decide if the group would like to take the next step and become a nonprofit (501c3) organization. There are advantages to doing this, and it gives you a mission base to help our honey bees. To find out more information on how to start an official nonprofit organization, go to www.irs.gov/charities.
Location, Location, Location
Choosing a location for your bees and hive is more than picking the spot by the rose bush. Bees should be placed close enough to pollen sources, but far enough from neighbors and homes to make everyone comfortable. If possible, hives should face southeast. Another option is to move your bees as seasons change, with a winter and a summer location.
Hive placement has a big impact on how much work must be done to keep your hive healthy. It also has a lot to do with how much honey and wax are produced. There are several factors to keep in mind when deciding the exact location for your hive:
- Water and food: A honey bee’s average foraging flight is about 2 to 3 miles from the apiary. Hives should be placed no farther than 6 to 7 miles from flowers, plants, and crops.
- Shade: The hive should be in an area that is dappled with shade — not total shade, but not total sun.
- Drainage: There must be proper drainage for your bees to survive. Bees cannot survive in marshy or exceptionally wet conditions. There must be adequate runoff in rainy conditions and firm ground for your bees to thrive.
- Air: Put your hive in a place that gets cool breezes and good airflow. Air that remains stagnant is bad for your bees.
- Accessibility: Make sure that access to and from the hive and your entire apiary is convenient.
The flight habits of bees already in the area are another important aspect. Encourage flight patterns that take bees away from homes and children’s play areas. If there is a large field of clover or a grove of flowering trees to the south of your home, take advantage of the traffic flow. Encourage bees to fly and forage in that direction by placing the hives strategically to face in that direction.
Beekeepers should factor in their home for this equation. This is known as the accessibility quotient. Most beekeepers prefer to place their hives close to their homes. It is convenient when it comes to maintenance, storage, and emergency situations.
While it is important that a hive has an appropriate amount of shade, it is equally as important that there be adequate sunlight. This is of special concern in the winter months — bees that are kept in the shade are usually more ill-tempered.
Vegetation surrounding the area is another deciding factor. Tall trees can be used as protection from winter winds and storms. The area should be easy to mow. Do not leave tall grasses or weeds around the hive, because this could hinder proper ventilation.
Once an appropriate location has been chosen, make sure the area is neat and clean. Consider installing a fence around the apiary if neighbors, children, or animals are a concern. Ants and other insects could also cause a problem for your bees, so treat the area with an insecticide before installing your bees.
Laws and Ordinances
Whether your decision is to have one hive or a dozen, it is imperative that all beekeepers understand all state and local laws. Before any monetary investments are made, check with your local officials on ordinances, permits, rules, and regulations.
In most places, it is legal to keep bees. In some communities, apiaries are considered a benefit to the community. Even if your community does not have laws against beekeeping, they might have a limit on the number of hives allowed in a neighborhood. Some states may also require an inspection from a state agency.
Check with your insurance company about insuring your apiary. Insurance companies will have different concerns about liability. The American Beekeepers Federation has a program for its members, but local clubs and organizations might have additional information.
Besides following the laws and ordinances for beekeeping and your apiary, you will also need to follow the laws for the sale and marketing of your bee products. This may mean manufacturing the products in a certain way, as well as obtaining certain specific permits and licenses.
Case Study: Must-know advice for every beekeeper
Lynda Cook Rizzardi
Beekeeper
Once a beekeeper decides to pursue beekeeping as a hobby or a business, it is important that he or she put in ample time to ensure healthy and productive hives of honey bees.
“In early spring, it is important to check the hives to be sure the bees have wintered well,” said Cook Rizzardi. “In east Tennessee, our winters are generally not too cold for extended periods of time and often not harsh enough for healthy hives to freeze.”
If the hive food stores are in short supply in early spring, feeding is recommended to ensure that the honey bee colony will be ready for the queen bee to begin laying eggs. A queen can lay 2,000 eggs or more a day — especially in the summer, when a heavy honey flow is on.
Bee space is very important. Most traditional hives are constructed of wood. Metal frame spacers can be nailed in the top of the hive body to maintain the proper ⅜-inch bee space. Bees have a tendency to build excess comb in wider spaces. If the bees have too much space, the beekeeper will find opening and working inside the hive body more difficult because comb is a very sticky, gooey substance.
The number of hive boxes/supers added depends upon the number of worker bees in the hive and the amount of honey nectar brought into the super to be placed in the comb cells. During a heavy flow, when plants and trees are blooming and there is an abundance of pollen and nectar, a beekeeper will continually add supers for the honey stores.
Honey bee swarms are common when there is not adequate space in the hive for all the worker bees and when there are frequent changes in the weather conditions. A swarm generally includes the old queen (sometimes a new queen) and about 50 percent of the worker bees in the hive; the worker bees from the swarming hive will follow the queen’s scent and swarm. Each hive of bees has only one queen at a time. If the queen happens to leave or be pushed from the hive, worker bees from her hive will follow her scent and go wherever their queen mother goes.
A swarm can sometimes be seen flying through the air like a big ball. This is an exceptional sight on a summer’s day. Once the cluster of honey bees find a limb, hollow tree, empty hive body, or even an opening in a house, the bees will take up residence and begin building honeycomb and making honey. If a beekeeper has a hive body that is excessively full of honey bees, he or she can split the colony by taking a double handful of bees and placing them in a newly prepared hive body with a few frames of brood, a few frames or honey, and a new queen bee. Requeening hives each year, in the spring or late summer, will generally prevent swarming and provide a productive queen bee for the hive.
Beehives are easier to maintain and to work in when placed on stands approximately 1 foot off the ground. Not only does this save the beekeeper’s back when repeatedly bending over to work, but it helps to avoid skunks, which are particularly drawn to the hives and enjoy the sweet honey. Scratch marks on the front of a beehive is often evidence of the presence of skunks. Mice can also invade and take up residency in a weak hive, and when they need a warm home on cold days, they work their way into a hive and eat the honey. Sometimes the bees can attack and kill intruders, but the larger the intruder, the more difficult the task.
“The most disastrous experience that my father and I had with beehives was caused by a family of black bears,” said Cook Rizzardi. “My father liked to move colonies around for different blooms (trees and flowers) to have a variety of flavors and colors of honey. One summer in the mountains, the bears found the beehives and really enjoyed smashing the wooden boxes to reach the honey inside. After cleaning up the mess and establishing a new area a few miles away, once again, the bears found the beehives. Luckily for us, we were not bothered or attacked while setting up the hives. We simply chose not to return to that area the next summer.”
When moving honey bee colonies, try to move them at night, use straps to secure the hive body, and attach a screen cover with wooden end bars to the front entrance of the hive. Most all the bees will return by dusk, secure the hive, and move to their new home location. Honey bees have a keen sense of direction and will return to only their hive because each hive has a distinctive scent or aroma that the bees recognize. When an unfamiliar honey bee, other insect, or other intruder attempts to enter the hive, the guard bees quickly communicate the intrusion, and several worker bees will come to the entrance to help defend the hive.
Protecting the colony is now more difficult because of all the honey bee diseases, such as tracheal and varroa mites, small-hive beetles, American foulbrood, and nosema.
Be warned: All beekeepers generally get stung at some time. The queen and the worker bees have a stinger, but the drones (male bees) do not. Once a worker bee stings, the stinger leaves the little bee body behind, and the bee dies.
As a basic rule, a colony consists of a deep and a shallow, or two mediums, as a brood chamber, as well as a shallow super of honey for the honey bees. During the summer — when the beekeeper is adding supers for honey production — add one, two, or three at a time, depending upon the number of honey bees in the colony and the distance of the colony from your home. Try to check on the colony weekly; be sure to allow room for honey stores to prevent swarming.
Once the beekeeper harvests the capped, sealed, and stored honey, always leave a full super of honey for the bees to winter on. In the winter, the queen will generally remain in the lower brood box; therefore, the second brood box should also contain honey to help feed the bees. Most hives will need about 40 to 50 pounds of honey to survive one winter. On average, a shallow super of honey will weigh between 30 and 35 pounds; a medium super of honey will weigh between 40 and 45 pounds; and a deep super full of honey will weigh between 60 and 70 pounds.
The capped honey cells will be clear, smooth, and even across the top, and one can observe that there is honey inside the cell, whether the honey is light or dark in color. Honey inside cells has a glistening glow, and the frame of honey will be heavy when lifted from the super. Furthermore, the lighter the color, the thinner the honey and the milder the taste; the darker the color, the thicker the honey — and often times the more flavor in a single bite of honey. The brood cells will be slightly raised (for a worker bee), shaped like a peanut on top of several cells (for a queen), or shaped like a protruding bullet from the cell (for a drone). All the brood frames of wax are generally darker because of the eggs having been laid and hatched repeatedly in the same cells as they walk across the brood to travel higher in the hive body to deposit the honey.
Sugar water is a food source; therefore, the honey bees could live indefinitely on sugar water as long as the beekeeper is willing to always prepare the syrup, feed the bees, and check on the colony every few days. Some beekeepers who want to produce a thin, clear product to sell will simply feed the colony until the supers are full. The downside to this process is that because the honey bees have not gathered and processed pollen and nectar, the product is considered adulterated honey (fed sugar water), and will crystallize and look like the granulated sugar the bees were fed.
Special licensing:
If honey, wax or hive products are to be sold, it is important to label each product with the seller’s name, address, and telephone number. For those beekeepers with much honey to process, a honey house or separate building is required for health and sanitation reasons. Do not use a house kitchen. If samples are to be distributed to the general public at a fair, craft, or vendor event, the county health department must issue a letter granting permission for distribution.
Honey bees are not often found in the wild very often because of the pesticides used in general sprayings around homes and businesses. Honey bee diseases have also been transmitted to wild bees that have tried to forage from a particular colony, then returned to their home with a disease that wiped out the wild hive as well.
Cook Rizzardi’s experiences catching a wild hive:
“Some summers provide more opportunities for collecting swarms or a hive on the run. One of the most memorable for me was several years ago,” said Cook Rizzardi. “My mother and I saw the swarm fly through our yard one afternoon to a small tree limb. My father and I collected an empty hive body, suited up, and visited our neighbor’s yard. By the time we arrived, the bees had settled a little and were calmly humming and buzzing to let everyone know their presence.
“We placed our empty hive body on the ground. My father shook the limb twice, and the bees fell into the box with frames of comb. I placed the lid on the box, and we stepped back to watch. Most of the remaining bees quickly sensed they had a new home. We went home, but later that evening we drove back to the tree, loaded the beehive, and carefully drove home — mission accomplished.”
Lynda Cook Rizzardi was the 2009 President of the Knox County Tennessee Beekeepers Association; member of the Knox County and Tennessee Beekeepers Associations; and secretary of the Tennessee Valley Honey Show for 12 years.
Her interest in beekeeping can be attributed to her parents. For many years, her father kept anywhere from three to 55 hives at one time. Her family grew up eating honey and learning about the life of honey bees. Cook Rizzardi enjoyed cooking and using honey and always had a variety of honeys to eat — her family would enter honey in the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville, and she and her father won several ribbons and a few of the sweepstakes trophies. Her mother served as secretary of the Blount County Beekeepers Association for many years, as well.
Neighbors and Other Nuisances
Most beekeepers live in suburbs with plenty of flowers, but it is not uncommon to have hives on rooftops. Bees will travel for miles to find nectar and pollen, so the flowers do not have to be close by.
But be prepared: Not everyone will be as enthusiastic about your hobby as you are. When someone hears that their neighbor is a beekeeper, they might immediately dredge up scenarios of bee attacks, complete with huge, black clouds of swarming, angry bees.
Most of the animosity your neighbors might have is simply due to ignorance. Taking the time to educate your friends, family, and neighbors is a step in the right direction. Invite them over to watch a hive inspection; this is the best way to demonstrate how docile the bees are.
There are few things that can be done to minimize trouble from your neighbors. Have a fresh water supply for your thirsty bees. If you do not want the expense of a birdbath, place a few chicken waterers on a tree and set the hive close to it. If this does not persuade the bees to stay in their own backyard, try using sugar water. After a few days of using sweetened water, switch back to plain water and the bees will remain at home.
Paint or stain your hives a natural shade to blend in with the surroundings, or buy them already painted. Also, if your bees are in a residential neighborhood, restrict yourself to one or two hives. Bees fly up and away when they leave the hive; make sure they are well away from the entrance of your home.
Place your hive in a place that is inconspicuous. If your neighbors cannot see your hive, they could forget it is in your backyard.
Finally, give your neighbors, family, and friends gifts from the bounty of your hives. Jars of honey, candles, lotions, and other products make wonderful gifts when placed in a basket with a lovely bow. It goes a long way for keeping the peace among neighbors.
Author’s Apiary
Have bees, will travel
Do not be discouraged if, after deciding you would like to be a beekeeper, you realize that due to area restrictions, crabby neighbors, or lack of space, you do not have a place for an apiary. There are options. You may have to do some more legwork, but it will be worth the effort. I have listed several ideas below to get you started; you may be surprised at the interest your inquiries will generate.
Thanks to all the publicity about our bees, people are more informed and, although they may not want to actually be a beekeeper, forming a partnership with one could be the next best thing. It is a win-win situation: Your honey bees can help the gardens, be a teaching tool to heighten community awareness, and perhaps even turn a profit for both you and your partner.
Consider the following options for creating an optimal location for you bee garden:
- Community garden
- Botanical garden
- Teaching farm
- Business rooftop
- Monastery
- Local farm
- Garden club
- Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts
- Non-profit organizations
Timing
Timing is important in beekeeping. Prepare your hive purchase or construction ahead of time. All laws and ordinances must be abided by, as well as any permits or registrations taken care of. Have the location scouted out and prepared.
Case Study: Answering the questions of first-time beekeepers
Jason Gropple
Beekeeper
First-time beekeepers often wonder about the problems they might encounter when they first start out. The answer is: anything and everything could and will go wrong — everything from smoker and equipment problems to weather, absconding, and starvation.
New beekeepers always ask about finding eggs. They are hard to detect, but in an active hive, they are most often seen in the center of the bottom of the cells. Hold the bee frame by the ears with the sun to your back, so the sunlight illuminates the cells. The eggs will show up more easily when the comb is dark from frequent use, but the new comb is almost the same color as the eggs — white.
December is the best time to get your hives ordered, put together, and painted; January is the time to order your bees. Depending on your climate, starting a new hive is best when the first round of dandelion blooms have begun to go to seed.
As winter approaches, it can be difficult to tell how much honey to leave for the bees to live on and how much can be taken. Those who live in cold climates should leave them more food. If your winters are warmer, leave your bees 25-30 pounds of honey (one shallow super above their brood. Of course, it is important to tell which capped cells have honey and which are brood nests. The capped cells that are darker and radiate from the center are brood, and the cells that are light (white) to golden-yellow are honey.
During the winter, many beekeepers will feed their bees a supplement of sugar water, or corn syrup and water. They can survive on this through the winter. I assume any viable individual bee can live on sugar water for up to three months, but a viable colony would need the complexities of nutrients that are offered from floral sources in order to raise their brood and continue the next generation.
There are three aspects that a beekeeper needs to effectively take care of for their bees: sharp senses, followed by a hive tool and a smoker. The worst thing any beekeeper can do is to be casual about it. Education is key to being successful.
Jason Gropple was president of the Montgomery County Beekeeping Association (MCBA) for the past five years and developed the MCBA Web site: www.mcbaonline.ning.com. He is a Tennessee apiary inspector and moderator for the Spanish language forum on www.beesource.com. He began beekeeping as a hobby five years ago.
Once all the preparations are made, place your bee order and be ready to install them in spring. Seasonal timing is significant if your bees are for-profit, but it is also essential for the bees’ health and success. In early spring, U.S. bee breeders will have packaged bees for sale. These first bees of the season are ideal for new beekeepers.
Getting a late start in the bee season could mean that your bees will have a hard time surviving.
The Beekeeper Buzz
“Spring is the best time to install the bees and to begin actual beekeeping,” said beekeeper Charles Parton. “Use the winter months to begin building hives and to choose the location for the hives. For those who decide to purchase hives, do your homework and shop around for the best place to make a purchase.”
Bees in their hive are similar to other animals in their home environment, even humans. There is a perfect time for everything; doing things out of this natural order can be a big disturbance and even deadly to the entire colony.
