A bee hive structure must be purchased or made, along with bee keeping tools to include smoker, smoker fuel, gloves, screens, arm guards, bee brush and a package of bees and a queen.
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Man made hives were first designed by Rev. L.L. Langstroth in the 1850s. The design has had slight modifications since then but has remained the base of today’s modern hive. There are six main components to the hive. This includes the stand, bottom board, hive bodies, supers, inner cover, and top cover.
Bees are available for purchase in the spring and ship in two to five pound packages which can contain 10,000 to 22,000 bees. There are instructions on how to load the bees into the hive. Sugar water is typically used to spray on the bees to make them easy to pour. It can be a delicate process, so taking a class at the junior college or contacting a local bee keeper is advised. The Farm.org has specific instructions and most bee sellers would send instruction.
Once a hive is set up and bees installed, check the hive in a few days to make sure the queen has been released. The queen comes in a container that is ‘candied’ and the workers have to chew through the candy to release her. About a week after the queen bee is released, white wax combs will be under construction. If this does not occur, then the queen may not have been released or could be dead and ordering a new queen is in order.
There is much more to learn about taking care of the bees and harvesting honey, that goes beyond this article. For more specific information, check Honeybeesonline.com or Beecare.com. The local library will have information as well. Check with the state agriculture department to verify bees can be kept, and explore beekeeping before buying. Keep in mind, stings will occur, but the reward is sweet.
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