The preservation of bees is imperative to our continued ability to grow food to feed the plant. Bees are the main pollinators of the plant. Did you know that raising bees can be a stress reduction strategy and can provide a wealth of education for adults and children alike? Beekeeping allows you to offer gifts to family and friends, while also providing healthy products that are good for your health. In this book, the author discusses the benefits, the steps to get started, the supports, and other valuable information.
Chapter one looks at the benefits of raising bees, while chapter two covers the steps to get started. The author analyzes the cost of establishing a bee colony; analyze how much space you will need; the impact of food and water on the hive; the impact that pets and other domestic creatures can have on the reproduction of bees; how to handle wild animals, the weather, and neighbors; and list some important rules and regulations regarding beekeeping.
The next chapter focuses on the most important lessons you will learn while beekeeping. Then the author follows up on this section on how to find and develop support systems. Their recommendations are to join a local beekeeping group that will help provide important information, additional resources, strategies to protect the hive, how to increase honey production and avoid falls. Participation in a local support group will enhance and sustain your development as a beekeeper.
The next section is dedicated to the types of bees, their function and importance to the hive. There are several types of bees and the author makes recommendations on which variation you should start with to be successful. In this section, the author discusses the importance of queen, worker, and drone bees. It details the reproduction of bees, how other bees protect the only female bee in the colony, and how to promote a high-quality queen bee. There is additional information on introducing a new queen bee should the need arise and how to handle the old queen bee. This section includes information on unmanned bees, which are male bees, and how to recognize a worker bee drone. The role of the worker bee is to build the honeycombs, raise the brood, protect the hive, maintain the optimum temperature within the hive, keep the hive clean, and tend to the needs of the queen. The author provides strategies on how to maximize the role of each kind of bee.
There is another section on how to produce queens, drones, and worker bees. The author provides detailed information on the production of each and identifies the pitfalls.
The next chapter focuses on essential equipment for beekeeping. There is information on collecting honey; the different types of hives and how to collect the honey from each one; rubber bee hives and modern hives. There are instructions and information on how to develop a hive for your bees, which designs provide the most protection; what construction will help in the production of honey; and the history of man-made urticaria.
The next section of the book is devoted to hive management, listing the parts of the modern hive and their function. There is important information about the role each party plays in the protection and management of bees. The author discusses the mouse excluder, varroa screen, frame boxes, effectiveness of plastic hive base sheets, shallow frames, queen excluder, crown table, and ceiling.
In chapter six, the author discusses the importance of the right type of clothing and the role it plays in protecting the beekeeper. The next chapter lists the tools that a successful beekeeper will need to get started, such as the hive tool, the bee brush, and smokers.
Chapter eight is dedicated to getting your bees. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of completing bee hives, core hives, and how to assemble one; pack bees and transfer them to the hive; and helpful tips on how to handle a swarm of bees when setting up the hive. There is a complete section on how to prevent bee swarming.
Combing weak hives to ensure growth of both is discussed in the next chapter. He identifies how to comb hives, lists strategies for ensuring production of combed hives, how to deal with combing hives with two queen bees, and when is the best time of year to comb weak hives.
The next chapter deals with feeding the bees. There is information on how to introduce drugs to treat and / or prevent certain conditions; how to make sure the hive has enough food after the honey has been collected; how to keep the hive productive and safe during the winter months. The author lists the most useful food sources for bees and lists the food sources that the beekeeper should never give to the hive. There are instructions on how to get the right food source to the bees through: entry feeders, tile plank feeders, friction can; and hive feeders. Additional information on pollen or pollen substitutes is provided.
There is a complete section on disease management that lists the most common diseases, such as: American foulbrood, European foulbrood, Sacred; Parasitic mite syndrome (PMS); and chalk brood. There is additional information on diseases of adult bees such as Nosema; and moths. Here, the author describes the symptoms and lists ways to identify and treat diseases.
Many animals and insects are enemies of bees and can damage and / or destroy hives. The author identifies each species: bears, birds, ants, cattle, hive beetles, fogs, fire ants, rodents, raccoons, skunks, and moths. Information on how to protect your hive and bees from these pests is also included.
The following chapters provide information on managing hives during the summer, fall, winter, and spring; how to test and what to expect; steps on how to handle your first crop, extract the honey crop; how to brush bees; what to do with exhaust boards and bee blowers.
Information and websites for providers in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia are at the end of the book.