Why people have bee farms.

The reasons people keep bees are as varied as the people themselves.  Some people keep bees strictly as a for profit business and harvest the honey and beeswax as well as hire their bees out for pollination.  Others engage in bee farming as a hobby or to make some extra side income.  Beekeeping is ideal as a small supplemental business, because bees mostly take care of themselves.

Still others keep bees strictly because they are interesting.  Many people find honey bees to be fascinating.

Time involved in bee farming.

A lot of aspiring bee farmers get discouraged because they think that keeping bees is difficult.  But the reality is that unless you are allergic to bee stings, beekeeping is actually pretty easy.  Once you learn about the bees life cycle and have the proper bee farming equipment, it only takes about 2 to 4 hours a month to maintain several hives.  This is where I recommend that you start.

Of course, if you want to make a full time living keeping bees, you can expect the time commitment to be much greater, but by starting small and building your way up to a large bee farm, you will not only know what to expect, but you will also be prepared for the amount of work involved.

You will need these bee farming supplies.

Of course like any new venture, when you start raising bees you will need some specialty supplies.  You may want to get more, but this is what you must have to start out with.

Bee hives: To avoid spreading disease from an old hive you will want to either build these yourself or buy them new.  Most modern beekeepers use Langstroth type hives with removable frames.  These are great if you want to harvest honey and wax from the bees.  If you are more interested in learning about bees first hand, then you will want an observation hive instead.

Bee keeping suit and veil: Many experienced beekeepers only wear a veil, but if you are just starting out I would recommend getting the entire bee keeping suit  if you want to minimize bee stings.

Bee smoker: Inexpensive, but not to be overlooked.  A bee smoker will calm the bees down and will allow you to work with them more easily.

The bees themselves: When you are just starting out you will want to buy your starter bees.  This is just much easier than trying to catch a bee swarm.

Overall, bee farming is a very rewarding and interesting hobby or occupation.  If you love to nurture things and enjoy the outdoors I would recommend you give a small scale bee farm a shot and see how you like it.

Honey bees (or honeybees) are a division of bees, predominantly distinguished by the making and storing of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Bees that produce honey represent no more than a small fraction of the more or less 20,000 known species of bees. Certain other species of related bees create and warehouse honey, but only members of the group Apis are genuine honey bees.

Most species have historically been cultured or at least exploited for honey and beeswax by humans native to their resident habitats. Just two of these kinds have been truly domesticated, one (Apis mellifera) at least since the time of the building of the Egyptian pyramids, and only that type has been moved widely beyond its native range.

Worker Bee Facts and Queen Bee Facts

Honey bees have distinct life cycle patterns than other kinds of bees. Eggs are laid one at a time inside a compartment inside a wax honeycomb, formed and produced by the worker bees. Larvae are initially fed with royal jelly made by worker bees, later switching to honey and pollen. The only one that is not is a larva fed exclusively on royal jelly, which will develop into a queen bee. The larva undergoes more than a few moltings before spinning a cocoon within the cell, and pupating. Drones emerge from unfertilized eggs, females (Queens and worker bees) emerge from fertilized eggs. The queen actually can select to fertilize the egg she is laying, often depending on what cell she is laying inside.

Immature worker bees cleanse the hive and give food to the larvae. After their royal jelly producing glands start to degenerate, they start on constructing comb cells. They progress to additional within-colony responsibilities as they become older, such as receiving nectar and pollen from foragers, and watching over the hive. Later still, a worker takes her initial orientation flights and finally leaves the hive and typically lives the rest of her life as a forager.

Worker bees cooperate to find food and use a pattern of "dancing" (identified as the bee dance or waggle dance) to share information regarding resources with the other bees; this dance is different from species to species, but all living types of Honey Bees display some form of the dance. If the resources are extremely local to the hive, they may also exhibit a less specific behavior generally identified as the "Round Dance".

Apis bees also carry out tremble dances which conscript receiver bees to collect nectar from returning foragers .

Virgin queens depart on mating flights away from their home-based colony, and breed with many drones before returning. The drones expire in the action of mating.

Facts About Bees Swarming

Colonies are founded not by lone queens, as in most bees, but by large groups known as "swarms", that include a mated queen and a large contingent of worker bees. This group travels en masse to a nest location which has been scouted by worker bees in advance. When they arrive, they directly assemble a new wax comb and begin to raise fresh worker brood. This kind of nest beginning is not seen in any other living bee type, though there are several groups of Vespid wasps which also initiate new nests by the use of swarming (occasionally including several queens). In addition, stingless bees will start different nests with large numbers of worker bees, but the nest is constructed before a queen is brought to the site, and this worker force is not a real "swarm".

Two types of honey bee, A. mellifera and A. cerana, are often maintained, fed, and moved by beekeepers. Current hives also enable beekeepers to transport bees, moving from meadow to meadow as the crop needs pollinating and allowing the beekeeper to charge for the pollination services they make available, revising the past role of the self-employed beekeeper, and favoring large-scale commercial companies. Recently, though, small scale beekeepers have been gaining in popularity.

When you are looking at bee hives for sale you will find that there are two primary different types.   You can get either an observation beehive or a beekeeping (honey producing) beehive - also called a Langstroth beehive.   What you buy depends on your objectives.An observation beehive is fantastic for someone who wants to learn about bees and watch their fascinating colonies go about their business.  Think of it like an ant farm.  When you look at these types of bee hives for sale, you will find many beautiful styles available.  These beehives are often placed indoors (they are completely enclosed) with a chute going outside so that the bees can collect their nectar.  This type of hive is strictly for observing bees and not for gathering honey.

If you want to start a beekeeping operation, than you will want to buy a Langstroth beehive with extra supers.  This type of honey bee hive for sale is not as good to look at as an observation hive, but is extremely functional.  This type of hive works by using removable frames which the bees build cells on and fill with honey.  Once the bees have produced enough honey to make it through the winter you can add extra sections or "supers" to your hive and they will fill them as well.  Then you can harvest the honey without damaging the bee colony.

If you decide to buy Langstroth hives and launch a beekeeping operation (either as a hobby or business) don't forget you will also need a beekeeping suit and a bee smoker.  These  two honey bee supplies will protect you from bee stings.

No matter which type of honey bee hive for sale you decide to buy, you are sure to find one that will fit both your style and your needs.  And you can start a hobby that will not only help you with your gardening or farming effort, but also be a very rewarding hobby or business in itself, so enjoy!

Natural beekeeping is a term that has been set by the beekeepers themselves, so it is not really regulated by legalities, whereas organic producers are. There are actually three main factors that both the natural beekeeper and the organic beekeeper focus on, the hive, and the place where the bees get their nectar from, and the environment the bees are in.

The Place where the Nectar Comes From

The reason why there are so few organic beekeepers is because the FDA requires that the hives be located in isolated areas away from population, traffic, farm fields that are treated with chemicals, industry, and away from landfills. Now the hard part is that bees fly as far away as four miles. That is why the area has to be isolated.

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Now, natural beekeeping is not as stringent, but natural beekeepers are ever watchful for stagnate water, chemicals in the air, and want to know where the bees are getting their nectar from and keeping it as clean as possible from harmful chemicals.

Most commercial bee keepers do not practice natural beekeeping techniques. This has lead to an overall weakening of the bee colonies, because of the amounts of chemicals these commercial beekeepers use to avoid mites and other illnesses. They also feed their colonies with supplements and syrups, which beekeepers, who practice natural beekeeping do not.

The Management of the Hive

Most natural beekeepers want well constructed hives, which are designed well with the best interest of the bee in mind. They tend to get hives that are made out of cedar, because this type of wood keeps its warmth better and doesn't tend to warp.

Natural beekeepers will also pay attention to ventilation, water sources, and the location of the apiary, and the areas from which the nectar will be extracted. The water sources will need to be clean. Bees tend to cool their hive in the summer with water droplets, and are not really picky about where they get their water from.

Author: Ron Fullman

Want to learn how to start beekeeping for free? Sign up for the FREE 7 DAY BEEKEEPING ECOURSE online at: http://www.ultimatebeekeeping.com/ecourse.php

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You should know that beekeeping is not as simple as it once was, but due to the lack of bees the rewards are better. Beekeeping is particularly suited to remote areas where the distance from market and the bulkiness of some products may make the selling of many agricultural commodities non-profitable. However, all bee products command a good price and all can be sold far from their point of origin.

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The beekeeping business is possible in arid areas and places where crops or other enterprises have failed; the roots of nectar-bearing trees may still be able to reach the water table far below the surface. This makes beekeeping feasible in marginal conditions, which is important for people who need to restore their livelihoods or create new ones.

Research has shown that it is mostly women who pursuit in beekeeping, especially those women who as a rule enjoy working with objects which demand careful, skillful attention and manipulation. And since beekeeping offers more of the pleasures of outdoor recreation, and less of the drudgery than even caring for the backyard garden or flower bed.

But you should know that beekeeping is an inherently local process. What works best for one beekeeper will often fail for another because of minor differences in climate, forage, or the traits of his sub-race of bees. It also plays a unique part of agriculture because it is comprised of both commercial beekeepers and hobbyists. And the commercial beekeepers, like other farmers today, are an endangered species.

Smoke and beekeeping

Smoke is useful in beekeeping because it masks the guard bee's alarm pheromones and encourages the other bees to feed by tricking them into thinking they'll soon need to abandon their hive. This gives the beekeeper enough time to inspect the colony and perform any needed maintenance. Smoke is the beekeeper's second line of defense; protective clothing provides remarkably little protection from agitated bees. Most beekeepers use a "smoker"as a device designed to generate smoke from the incomplete combustion of various fuels.

Beekeeping is not as simple as it once was, but the rewards are many and we can all learn from contemplating their cooperation, and nurturing their well being. Beekeeping is inside you, not outside in your yard. Think it through, talk with your family and read all that you can.

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Author: Carlos Manzini

You welcome to visit: The Ultimate Bee Keeping Catalogs and Bee keeping For Beginners Guidelines for more information.

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Beekeeping is a specialized industry with specialized products. You can't just walk into your local Walmart and get the things you need. Thankfully, the internet has made ordering your supplies and equipment much, much easier than it used to be. You can now order just about anything you need for beekeeping right from the comfort of your home, including finding quality bee hives for sale.

Before you get started with purchasing your equipment, please make sure that you know what you are doing when it comes to keeping bees. You need to either buy a book or take a class on basic beekeeping.

In the beekeeping field their is plenty of detail to learn about. A book or course will help you decide if you want to pursue it as a business or hobby and how big your operation should be.

You will also learn about the habits of bees. What to do if you lose your queen. What types of flowers produce the best honey and many other valuable and other important things.

These are the three things you will absolutely need no matter what kind of beekeeping you are doing.

-Bee hives -either ones you build or ones you buy.

-Protective clothing - to avoid stings as much as possible.

-Liquid Smoke or a Smoker - to make the bees calm.

There are plenty of other things that you can get for your beekeeping operation as well, but these are the essentials.

If you have never had any experience with beekeeping you should start small, and increase your activities from there. Once you get comfortable with your first hive, you can always expand your operation to include more hives and more bees.

Beekeeping is rewarding and interesting. Be sure that you get started off right

You can start beekeeping in your backyard (check to see if you need a permit) with just a single hive of bees, but beekeeping has it's own language that wee will call "BeeSpeak". Here are some definitions for some of the more confusing terms.

#1. Apiarist

Sounds like a position in the ape section fo the zoo doesn't it?  An apiarist is another name for a beekeeper.  Fancy, Huh?

#2. Honey Bee

Bees that produce honey.  What you probably didn't know though is that most bees do not produce honey and that the honey bee is in the vast minority of bee species.

#3. Hive Tool

This is the nifty tool that beekeepers use to pry frames out of bee hives.  If you are finding that they seem overpriced, just buy a paint scraper - it's the same thing.

#4. Super

When I first started beekeeping this one really, really confused me.  The super is the part of the hive that the bees put the honey in.  It contains frames.  In beekeeping guides you will see instructions to add supers in the spring and fall.  (And I was wondering Super what?)

#5. Smoker

Absolutely one of the most important tools in beekeeping.  Usually a metal pot with bellows attached to it.  It dispenses cool smoke that calms the bees.  You must get a smoker.  There is nothing worse than a hive of extra bees.

If you are feeling a wee bit overwhelmed at the stuff you have to learn to start understanding honey bees and beekeeping, don't worry... it's really not too complicated (I promise).

Recommended Resource For Beginning Beekeepers

The first thing you need is a home for the bees. You need a bee hive (or hives). You can either build the bee hive yourself or you can find quality bee hives for sale. Either way can work very well.

If you decide that you want to build the hives yourself, make sure that you purchase or otherwise get good plans to put the hives together. Bees are particular about the spacing in their hives, so follow the planes exactly for good results.

If you choose to buy a hive as part of your beekeeper supplies, then you should make sure that you buy from a reputable dealer. The most popular hives for beekeeping have removable frames, although there are other types available.

The second type of equipment that you will need is protective beekeeping gear, because it will protect you from getting stung. You want to look for gear that is light colored and smooth. You also need to be sure to protect your neck and face with a special beekeepers hat and veil.

The final essential beekeeper supply is a smoker. You need this to calm the bees down and make the hive easier to handle. Smokers come in many sizes and usually burn non-chemical materials like cardboard or rotten wood.

A popular alternative to the smoker is "liquid smoke" which you can spray on the bees from a plastic spray bottle.

There are plenty of more things available that you can buy for your beekeeping operation, but these are the essential ones.

1. Beekeeping supplies
Companies that have beekeeping stuff deal with all the equipment that is required for this business, like attire for bee keeping which is essential from head to torso, full body suits and just head gear. Along with this equipment they also sell journals and books on beekeeping to help people to understand this field better. Some of the better known beekeeping companies have been in the business for more than a hundred years.

2. Books for providing short courses in beekeeping
Beekeeping families have a lot of subsidiaries to the beekeeping business too. They use the bees wax to make candles and collect honey which is sold locally in the stores. The books have information on candle making and collecting honey too apart from instructions on the main business which is bee keeping. These family businesses are mostly long standing ones and continue from one generation to the other.

3. Businesses have advanced technologically
Stepping into the shoes of their ancestors has not been easy for many of the families. Only those families where the parents thought of the new technologies and got their business mechanized with the latest equipment, and advertised with on the internet with their own websites so that they could bring in more customers and higher profits, was the business profitable and worth running. For others the cost of maintaining an old business was too high and they could not handle the expenses anymore. As most descendants of beekeeping families knew no other business they preferred to stick to it, and if the financial situation was not good, then they became commercially owned businesses

A business that once started as a hobby, with just about enough honey to put on toast and biscuits in place of marmalade, became a big time business with the popularity of the use of honey. Earlier honey was not a very popular edible thing as people used sugar and molasses for sweetening their food, but once they found that honey was much cheaper, beekeeping became popular and was taken up by many as an agricultural business. However, now the only problem is that people worry about the safety of the honey that is collected because of all the pesticides that are used. Now with organic foods being more popular and a movement by organic food growers, there is a lot of honey that is free of pesticides. Now many families owned companies supply bees wax for candle making and cosmetics to other manufacturers of these commodities.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

Abhishek is an avid Bee Keeping enthusiast and he has got some great Beekeeping Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 59 Pages Ebook, "How To Become A Bee-Keeping Pro!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/89/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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All this probably happened around 700 years before Christ. We can fix this date by the drawings on the caves where prehistoric man lived. It is not difficult for scientists to fix dates on caves based on radio carbon dating of skins and bones along with other organic remnants found in the cave. However, scientists seem to think that the drawings depicted on the walls of the caves tell tales of humans standing around a bee hive and are absolutely unaffected by the bees. Could this mean that they had discovered some pre-historic 'Bee Go' to ward off the bees. Bee Go is a chemical that bee keepers smear on a tray and leave it in the hive to encourage the bees to move to the bottom of the hive.

Man might have discovered that smearing some similar substance on their bodies would prevent the bees from stinging them while they collected the honey from the hive. What is a fact is, however, that man did learn that smoke was a very useful tool in scaring the bees away from the hive while they dismantled it from the tree. This was no guarantee of not getting stung though.

As civilization progressed man learnt to cultivate the honey bee. First indications of bee keeping are the clay and mud pottery scientists have found. Artificial bee hives had been constructed out of clay pottery to encourage bees to build their hives in them. When the honey was ready for harvesting the bees were driven out and the pot was broken to remove the honey.

Swarms of bees were trapped in these containers and kept there captive. Once they decided to make the hive their home the bees were allowed to come and go as they pleased making honey in the process.

Time advanced and so did the human intelligence. Man began to study the habits of bees and made uniquely designed hives for the honey bee. These wooden hives as we know them today are engineered to keep the reproduction part of the hive away from the food (larder) section. This way the bee keeper can only remove the honey combs without disturbing the off spring at the same time not having to remove all the bee's food.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

Abhishek is an avid Bee Keeping enthusiast and he has got some great Beekeeping Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 59 Pages Ebook, "How To Become A Bee-Keeping Pro!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/89/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

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