Keeping bees is a great hobby. It can be lucrative and is about as patriotic and green as you can get. In one enterprise, you can learn about one of nature's most fascinating creatures, play a vital part in American agriculture, save the planet, and spend pleasant hours outdoors in a world of sunshine, flowers, and gentle music. If this sounds good, you'll want to learn about beekeeping supplies Indiana.
Look online for suppliers of everything you'll need if you want to have an apiary - a collection of hives where honeybees live and create the many valuable bee products that people have used for centuries. Honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly are familiar to all who value natural foods, chemical-free beauty aids, and natural remedies.
First, you might want to check with your local extension agent. These offices, connected to large public universities, are valuable sources of information and also of volunteer help. The agencies and the many beekeepers in your area love to encourage newcomers to the art of raising honeybees.
To get your own honey, you'll need a hive. This outer box holds several 'frames', which are stacking boxes. The frames house the bees, shelter the 'brood' of eggs and larvae, and store the honeycomb that feeds the colony and those of us who love honey. A 'nucleus' is a small hive suitable for the first year, when the colony is getting established. It has from three to five frames. There are beginner's kits for sale, too.
In addition to honeybee hives, frames, and 'supers' (frames where the bees can store extra honey - which you can harvest!), you can buy special tools. You'll need to open and inspect the hives. There are brushes to move the bees gently, gently out of the way when you need to work around them. You'll need to protect the hive from parasites that threaten the colony, and feed the bees during the winter or during hot, dry spells.
Protective clothing is important. Even though honeybees are pretty docile, they get upset when their hives are disturbed. Suits, hats with veils, and gloves come in sizes from child to adult. Getting stung is no fun, and it can also make you allergic to bee venom in the future.
There are other kinds of bees that don't make honey for humans. Mason bees are the native, tiny ones you may have seen hovering around a spike of mint or lavender. They don't sting enough to notice, being notoriously non-aggressive, and are very low-maintenance. You can help them thrive by giving them moisture-proof shelter in a sunny spot and surrounding their home range (100 yards in every direction) with the plants they need for food.
All of us with gardens or orchards - in fact, all of us who eat - owe a debt of gratitude to the pollinators that play a part in plant development. Whether we live on the East Coast, in the middle of the country around Indiana, or near the Pacific, we can help bees survive and flourish.
Look online for suppliers of everything you'll need if you want to have an apiary - a collection of hives where honeybees live and create the many valuable bee products that people have used for centuries. Honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly are familiar to all who value natural foods, chemical-free beauty aids, and natural remedies.
First, you might want to check with your local extension agent. These offices, connected to large public universities, are valuable sources of information and also of volunteer help. The agencies and the many beekeepers in your area love to encourage newcomers to the art of raising honeybees.
To get your own honey, you'll need a hive. This outer box holds several 'frames', which are stacking boxes. The frames house the bees, shelter the 'brood' of eggs and larvae, and store the honeycomb that feeds the colony and those of us who love honey. A 'nucleus' is a small hive suitable for the first year, when the colony is getting established. It has from three to five frames. There are beginner's kits for sale, too.
In addition to honeybee hives, frames, and 'supers' (frames where the bees can store extra honey - which you can harvest!), you can buy special tools. You'll need to open and inspect the hives. There are brushes to move the bees gently, gently out of the way when you need to work around them. You'll need to protect the hive from parasites that threaten the colony, and feed the bees during the winter or during hot, dry spells.
Protective clothing is important. Even though honeybees are pretty docile, they get upset when their hives are disturbed. Suits, hats with veils, and gloves come in sizes from child to adult. Getting stung is no fun, and it can also make you allergic to bee venom in the future.
There are other kinds of bees that don't make honey for humans. Mason bees are the native, tiny ones you may have seen hovering around a spike of mint or lavender. They don't sting enough to notice, being notoriously non-aggressive, and are very low-maintenance. You can help them thrive by giving them moisture-proof shelter in a sunny spot and surrounding their home range (100 yards in every direction) with the plants they need for food.
All of us with gardens or orchards - in fact, all of us who eat - owe a debt of gratitude to the pollinators that play a part in plant development. Whether we live on the East Coast, in the middle of the country around Indiana, or near the Pacific, we can help bees survive and flourish.
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When you are searching for information about beekeeping supplies Indiana locals can visit our web pages. More details are available at http://bastinhoneybeefarm.com now.
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