Is beekeeping for you?

Is beekeeping for you?

Honey Bees are beneficial insects

Just about anyone can be a beekeeper!

Local Laws and Regulations

– Most cities have laws regulating hives

– Many neighborhood homeowner associations restrict or limit beekeeping

– Missouri has few laws regulating beekeeping

Location ConsiderationsSafety

– away from pets and farm animals

– beehives should be far away from sidewalks and fences

– suburban home, you should build a wooden fence in front of your hives' entrances about 8 feet tall

Location Considerations (continued)

– Honey bee flight paths – like birds, bees leave droppings.

– Sunlight and shade

– Water supply

– Easy access?

Types of Hives

Types of Hives: – Langstroth

Types of Hives:

– Top Bar Hive

Getting Honey Bees

There are four ways to begin a colony of bees.

Start with a swarm.

Start with a package of bees.

Start with a nuc hive.

Start with an established hive.

Bait hives

– certain amount of luck and skill required

– can't depend on catching swarm

Nucleus Hivesaka “Nucs”

Packaged Bees

Beekeepers sometimes sell established hives

So, what's going on inside those boxes?

This frame from the brood chamber is close to ideal.

Honey is stored at the top of the frame

Capped brood fills much of the rest of the frame.

Poor laying

pattern

Good brood pattern

Bees don't hibernate. They cluster to stay warm during cold weather.

“Keeping Bees” versus “Having Bees”

There is more to keeping bees than putting them in a hive and taking off honey.

– feeding– pests– diseases– management to prevent swarming– splitting to grow your apiary

Feeding

– new packages– fall

Winter Feeding

Pests

– varroa mites– tracheal mites– wax moths– small hive beetles

Pests

– varroa mites– tracheal mites– wax moths– small hive beetles

Diseases

– Nosema– Brood diseases– European Foulbrood– American Foulbrood– Chalkbrood

Swarming

- bees fill up on honey

- old queen and half of bees leave, settle nearby, send out scouts

- usually mid to late morning (can be early afternoon)

- may stay 30 minutes to 3 days

* Swarms are bad: drop in population, honey production, after-swarms

Swarm Prevention

Honey Extractors

Cut Comb Honey

Crush & Strain Honey

Beekeeping Associations

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/agrs93.pdf

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