Beekeeping is a worthy and interesting occupation. With its help, you can provide your family with honey, propolis and pollen, and if you put more hives, then you can start selling these products. Most importantly, if you decide to start beekeeping, you need to love bees. They are smart and interesting insects.
Instructions
Step 1
Decide why you need to breed bees. If you expect to produce honey only for your family, then 2-4 hives will be enough. But if you want to earn a little more, then you will need 10-15 bee colonies, or more.
Step 2
It is necessary to choose a place where the apiary will be located. The best thing is if the terrain is mountainous or hilly, then, depending on the altitude and the heating by the sun, the same plants will bloom at different times, which will allow bees to constantly collect pollen from them. Bees fly away from the hive for a distance of about 2 km, and if the terrain is uneven, then the area that they cover increases. You should not choose a place where there are already other apiaries nearby. Bees can start stealing honey, contracting diseases from other bees, etc. In any case, the honey yield will drop both for you and for your neighbor. It is not necessary to have too many bee colonies on one site; it is necessary that their number be less than the honey collection of the territory.
Step 3
There are several types of hives, depending on what you are going to use them for. From some hives it is easier to collect honey, from others propolis. Bee breeds also vary. Consult with experienced beekeepers to find the best options.
Step 4
You will need inventory to maintain an apiary. For the first time, you need to have a smoker, a chisel, a box for frames and the frames themselves, a net, a swarm, in order to catch a swarm, foundation and wire, and a knife. You will also need a honey extractor - a device in order to pump out honey. This is a rather expensive thing, so if you can, borrow it for a while, and then you can buy yourself a new one. As you go on, you will see that there are other inventory that you will need, but these are usually purchased in the process.
Step 5
Be sure to keep a first aid kit in the apiary. It should include medications for first aid for those stung. If you have neighbors, tell them where the first aid kit is in case they need it when they bite and you are not there.
Step 6
For beekeeping, you need special clothing: light, dense and bite-proof, and, of course, a face net! Bees can sting anywhere, including in the eye, from a bee sting, you can lose your eyesight. Whether or not to wear rubber gloves is best for beginners. Experienced beekeepers often work without them, but they already know how to handle bees.
