Beekeeping For Beginners By Ron Rullman At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Contrary to what you might think starting a beekeeping business is not that difficult. It doesn’t require a lot of knowledge, special skill or even a large investment. It does involve learning a little about bees and the types of things you will need.

Although starting is not difficult, most beekeepers enjoy their new found business because it is a project in which you will continually learn.

-First Step-

Your first step in a beekeeping business is to read about beekeeping and the process, then you will need to purchase the equipment you need. Stay away from used equipment, or if you do purchase used equipment be sure to get it inspected by an expert. You don’t want to purchase hives that have had a previous virus, or illness, and which scares away new bees.

-Second Step - Figuring out the Type of Hive You Want-

In most cases it’s hard to give a general “best” hive to buy. It really depends on the region you are in. The best thing you can do is talk to local beekeepers and ask them what they use, and which works best for that area.

-Third Step-

You now need to add bees to your hive, and you can do that in one of three ways. You can use a nucleus, a package, or a swarm.

The nucleus is where you buy a 3 to 5 frame, hive with a brood and a laying queen. You usually buy a “nuc” with bees of all ages. You will also need to feed the bees immediately after installation and until they get used to their new home.

*Package*
This is where bees are sold by the pound with a laying queen that is inside the main bee cage. The package comes with a sugar feeder so the bees won’t starve while you transport them. The length of time it takes to install a package depends on where you live, and you should get advice from a local beekeeping association, or beekeeper.

*Swarms*
There are beekeepers that catch swarms and they use these to supplement their hives, but this system sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, because of the risk of the onset of Tracheal Mites or Varroa. The good thing about this method is that the swarms march right in and go to work immediately.

-Fourth Step – Your Equipment-

Your best bet is to start getting different suppliers and comparing prices. In the first year though, you probably won’t need an extractor, because your harvest will likely be small. You probably want cut comb honey instead of extracted honey for that first year.

*A Smoker*

Depending on the type of hive you get, you may need a smoker, as these help calm the bees while you are doing your inspection. The best of these comes in copper, so it lasts for a long time.

*Your Protective Suit*

You need some type of protective suit, and you don’t want to skimp here. A little piece of netting on a flimsy hat won’t do. You need something that wont com loose and let a bee get caught inside.

You don’t need to overspend here, and so you want a dealer that is honest, not someone who will try to sell you every product on the market.

As you can see, you don’t need a lot of equipment, and for a lucrative business, you don’t have to make much of an initial investment, but you do need to read up on bee husbandry, so that you do a good job of managing your bees.

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