mainarticles   mainarticles
mainarticles
mainarticles   mainarticles
mainarticles
mainarticles

Home | Home & Family | Gardening


Beekeeping - Apiaries And Hives That Bee Colonies Call Home

By: Vin DeWolfe
 

Our ancestors collected honey from wild hives they bumbled upon. The hive was commonly completely destroyed and rendered useless. The bee hive would've no other option but to rebuild in another location.

Bee Colonies May Contain Thousands of Individual Bees.

This bad handling of the bee hive and honeycomb also resulted in the honey being full of contaminates. But, there was no grounds to worry since they did not need to store the honey for future use. They used up what they gleaned and they simply raided another hive and got more.

Early attempts at collecting the honey from local hives were really no better. Fixed frame hives were usually used, this meaning that the complete hive was sunk to get the honey.

After the honeycomb was jerked from the beehive, it was completely crushed and the honey extracted. This destroyed the eggs and larva of the bees and left the apiarist with fouled honey. Purification of the honey was only somewhat adequate and did not store for very long periods.

The largest problem with this kind of beekeeping idea is that the colony is devastated come harvest time. Obviously, the whole process had to be started all over again. Beehives would have to be built again, and a new colony of bees had to be found and introduced. Honey simply couldn't be supplied on a fixed basis, it was far too ineffective.

The discovery of the top bar beehive by Langstroth in the middle of the 1800's was just what apiculturists where needing. This gentleman truly modified everything in the apiculture world. His groundbreaking project allowed for a top opening and removable frames. Not only did this allot for convenient removal of the honey, but the hive and colony will not be done in.

Total Colonies Are Maintained In Man-Made Hives.

Additionaly, Langstroth's hive allowed the beekeeper inspection of the colony. Finally, beekeepers could maintain control over diseases and parasites in the hive. Honey output and durability of the colony both increased dramatically.

Beekeepers could now deliver a steady supply of honey instead of the sporadic output of the past. The quality and purity of the honey that was collected amplified as well.

That simple beehive innovation is still being used in about 75% of beekeeping operations world-wide. Regionally, the hives may look different, but the concept is the same. One such variant is called a bar and frame beehive. It has a slanted roof like a cottage would have. This keeps rainfall out of the beehive.

Figuring out the size of beehive to build for your colony is a subject of conditions. Bees will continue to reside in their hive year round but will call for shelter from extremes. In frigid weather climates, what are known as double-deep boxes are applied. In other areas, a single box unit works just fine. The key is to assure your bees are comfy in their hive.

Apiaries House Groupings of Hives Containing Several Colonies.

Sometimes, several groups of bees and their hives are kept in what's known as a bee house. This is an open air structure that serves as protection and shade from the weather. Several hundred of hives are kept at commercial apiaries, while a home bee house may have only a few.

With a good apiary plan, a beekeeper can comfortably set up his own apiary to the size he requires.

Groups of bee hives are also maintained in natural settings such as alongside a flower-filled meadow or agriculture field. Groupings of standing timber or the edge of shrubland around wild flower fields make ideal natural apiaries. They provide shade and security as well as a nearby food source. Bees need to rehydrate and having a pond or other body of water nearby is crucial.

One consideration for just where the beehive is located, is the honey you would like to produce. Bees that feast from flowers such as clover produce pale colored, mild tasting honey. In complete contrast, bees feeding from plants such as buckwheat give rise to an extremely dark amber honey. This dark honey is highly potent in flavor and is said to contain a lot more antioxidants.

Once set up in their hive, your bees can go to work for you. Yes, they will be making golden honey and beeswax almost constantly, however they can do more. Quite a few keepers of bees pack up their hives and rent them out to farmers for pollination.

Bees are a neccesity to pollinate about 50% of the foods that we eat. These busy little critters ensure the farmers crop produces fruit that he can harvest. At the same time, the bees get a free meal that they turn into combs full of rich, golden honey. It is a near perfect partnership between mankind and nature.

Honey collecting has come quite a way since our early predecessors first raided a beehive. Today, apiarists are well stocked and have more understanding of bees and their lives. That really means that almost anyone can raise bees now and produce honey, beeswax or cater bees to others.

Article Source: Main Articles

For more information and to request your Free Do-It-Yourself Beekeeping articles, visit: beekeeping.biblioflip.com K.L. "Vin" Hayes directs a group of independent writers and investigators. Over the last 10 years, they've worked in concert to produce high-quality digital reissues of vintage documents as well as original works. Vin specializes in how-to information that includes a broad assortment of topics such as hunting & fishing, hobbies & crafts, construction, self-improvement and more.

This article may be reproduced wholly or in part without written permission provided the byline, resource area, and any hyperlinks remain in order to give proper credit to the author.

Internet search engines and directory listings are imperative to your sites existence and success. Submit Your Website to the Searchen Networks directory and search engine to achieve authoritive inbound links.

Please Rate this Article

 

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Gardening Articles Via RSS!
Additional Articles From - Home | Home & Family | Gardening
mainarticles
mainarticles Submit Articles
mainarticles Member Login
mainarticles Top Authors
mainarticles Most Popular Articles
mainarticles Submission Guidelines
mainarticles Ezine Notifications
mainarticles Article RSS Feeds
mainarticles New Stuff
mainarticles About Us
mainarticles Link to Us
mainarticles Contact Us
mainarticles Privacy Policy
mainarticles Terms of Service
  :: Top Author Businesses:
Try your luck, Play BlackJack
 
  :: Our Supporters:
 
 
 
 
mainarticles
mainarticles
Main Articles. All Rights Reserved. © 2005, 2006
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
mainarticles
 

Powered by Article Dashboard