CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to get started if you want to raise bees (How to get started if you want to raise bees)

1. How do beginners raise bees?

1. Understand the habits of bees

Bees are a kind of insects that live in groups and have different living habits from many common insects. When raising bees, novices must fully understand their living habits in order to increase their success rate. Bee breeding techniques are usually based on their living habits.

2. Choose bee species

The selection of bee species is very important. Generally, the quality of bee species directly determines whether the breeding is successful. As I just said, the main bee species in my country are Italian bees and Chinese bees. When we choose bee species, we should decide based on various factors such as the local environment and conditions.

3. Choose the location of the apiary

Chinese bees generally live in a quiet environment and have certain requirements for temperature and humidity. Therefore, we must build a bee farm reasonably according to these requirements. Finally, we must also pay attention to the prevention of bees from enemies, such as wasps, ants, etc. These need to be considered when choosing the location of the bee farm. After completing the preliminary preparations, the next step is to obtain the bee colony.

2. Top ten tips for beekeeping novices?

1. Discussion on bee species

1. Italian Bee: Italian Bee is a high-honey-producing bee species introduced into my country. Its advantages are strong colony strength, weak swarming, not easy to escape from the colony, and high honey production. Its disadvantages are weak adaptability to my country's natural environment and susceptibility to bee mites and wasps.

2. Chinese honey bee: Chinese honey bee is an excellent bee species native to my country. Its advantages are that it has strong adaptability to my country's natural environment and is good at utilizing scattered nectar sources. Its disadvantages are small colony size, low honey production, easy swarming, easy migration, and susceptibility to attack by nest insects.

Beekeeping

2. Beekeeping Tools

1. Beehive: The beehive is the most basic tool for beekeeping. Its main function is to provide a place for bees to reproduce and live. Due to different design ideas, there are two types of beehives: traditional beehives and movable frame beehives. Due to different suitable bee species, there are several types such as Chinese bee beehives and Italian bee beehives.

2. Bee hat: A bee hat is a special tool for beekeeping. Its main function is to prevent bee stings when managing a bee colony. There are many styles of beekeeping hats, but no matter what style, the beekeeping hat must be light, durable and have a clear field of vision.

3. Others: Beekeeping also requires a lot of supporting tools, mainly including honey shakers, bee sweepers, scrapers, queen cages, queen excluders, escape prevention sheets, feeders, smokers, queen traps, etc. If queen bees are artificially bred, queen breeding sticks and worm transfer needles are also needed.

Beekeeping

3. Beekeeping Site

1. Environment: The area around the beekeeping site must be quiet. For example, sparsely populated fields or orchards are suitable for beekeeping. It is not suitable for beekeeping near roads, railways, factories, schools, etc. In addition, places with frequent smoke, noise, vibration, etc. are also not suitable for beekeeping.

2. Climate: The microclimate of the beekeeping site must be suitable. The temperature and wind force have the greatest impact on bees. In terms of temperature, it must face the sun in winter and spring to prevent cold waves, and in summer and autumn it must be shaded to prevent heat. As for wind force, bees should not be kept on mountain tops or in valleys where strong winds are common.

3. Nectar source: There must be abundant nectar source near the apiary. Since the effective collection radius of bees is only three kilometers, there must be abundant nectar source within a three-kilometer radius of the apiary. The most ideal nectar source condition is that there are several small nectar sources interspersed between large nectar sources.

4. Pests: There must be as few pests as possible near the bee farm. For example, hornets and frogs will attack the bee colony. Hornets are particularly harmful to honey bees. Therefore, the apiary should be built in a place with fewer hornets nearby. If someone is raising hornets nearby, it is not suitable to raise bees.

Beekeeping

4. Bee colony feeding

1. Supplementary feeding: Supplementary feeding is to supplement the bee colony with the food necessary for survival. For example, before the wintering period arrives, the beekeeper must supplement the feed needed for the entire wintering period for the bee colony. When the nectar source is scarce and the honey storage in the hive is insufficient, the beekeeper must also provide supplementary feeding to the bee colony.

2. Reward feeding: Reward feeding can stimulate the queen bee to lay eggs and motivate worker bees to raise larvae. For example, reward feeding is needed during the spring and autumn breeding periods. The reason is that the reproduction rate of the bee colony is regulated by the nectar source. Reward feeding can give the bee colony the illusion that there is an abundant nectar source.

3. Soothing feeding: Soothing feeding can help a chaotic bee colony stabilize quickly. For example, timely feeding after the bee colony is transferred to the hive can help the colony quickly secrete wax and build honeycombs. Merging bee colonies or introducing a new queen and timely feeding can also help the colony order quickly return to normal.

Beekeeping

5. Four Seasons Management

1. Spring: The focus of bee management in spring is spring breeding, the purpose is to encourage the overwintering bee colonies to quickly recover their strength, otherwise they may not be able to utilize the spring nectar source. The breeding time is 60 days before the first large local nectar flow period. The method is to reward the bee colony with feeding once every evening.

2. Summer: The focus of bee management in summer is heat prevention. In fact, high temperature is also the main factor restricting the development of bee colonies in summer. The solution is to move the beehives to a cool place or build a shed on the beehives to protect against the sun. If necessary, sprinkle cold water or put ice bags in the beehives to cool them down.

3. Autumn: The focus of bee management in autumn is autumn breeding, the purpose is to encourage the bee colony to quickly cultivate bees of the right age for wintering, otherwise the bee colony may not be able to successfully overwinter. The breeding time is 60 days before the last local nectar flow period. The method is to reward the bee colony with feeding once every evening.

4. Winter: The focus of bee management in winter is insulation. For example, the beehive can be wrapped with insulating materials such as crop straw. The box can also be filled with insulating materials when necessary, but it must be "better to be cold than hot" because excessively high temperatures during the wintering period are far more harmful to the bee colony than low temperatures.

Beekeeping

6. Disease prevention and control

1. Hornets: Hornets are particularly harmful in mountainous areas and hilly areas. You can use a fly swatter to kill them, or you can cut off the drone brood combs at the bottom of the honeycomb and mix them with pesticides to prevent them from spreading around the beehive. When the hornets finish feeding and bring them back to the hive, they can poison the entire hornet colony.

2. Broodworms: Broodworms (larvae of wax moths) mainly harm Chinese honey bees, especially weak bee colonies are more susceptible to damage by broodworms. In mild cases, it will affect the normal development and honey production of the bee colony. In severe cases, the bee colony may even be unable to resist and have to abandon the nest and flee.

3. Sac brood disease of Chinese honey bees: Sac brood disease of Chinese honey bees is the most harmful disease to Chinese honey bees. There is currently no specific medicine for it. Prevention must be the main approach for this bee disease. In addition, antiviral drugs such as adamantane hydrochloride can play a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect.

4. Bee mites: Bee mites are the most important parasite of Italian honey bees. Severely endangered bee colonies will be rapidly weakened, their collecting capacity will be severely reduced, and they may even cause the death of the entire colony. The best way is to kill the bee mites in the beehive with highly effective miticides when the lid is not sealed.

3. How do beginners keep bees?

1. First, learn some knowledge about bee biology through the Internet or by looking for books, and have a basic understanding of bees;

2. After learning for a period of time, you can buy one or two boxes of bee colonies to start raising them;

3. If necessary, you can contact some beekeeping masters to learn;

4. You can download the Bee Doctor APP and use the articles and videos above to learn, or you can communicate with other bee lovers or experts on the platform.

4. How to get started with beekeeping?

First, it is advisable to purchase two small groups at the same time. In terms of climate, it is best to choose spring and autumn, when the temperature is between 20-30℃. At this time, the external climate is mild, the bee colony is more active, and the rich nectar plants are blooming. The bee colonies purchased at this time reproduce faster.

Beginner beekeepers can start from here to learn and practice at the same time, so that the knowledge can be gradually consolidated in practice, the bee colony can be gradually increased in reproduction, and a solid foundation can be laid for the future expansion of beekeeping.

5. Basic tutorial on beekeeping?

Beekeeping Tutorial:

1. Breeding site: It is best to raise bees in sparsely populated fields, orchards or hillsides.

2. Prepare tools: prepare beehives, bee hats, feeders, scrapers and other tools.

3. Feeding of bee colonies: Before wintering, supply the bee colonies with the feed they need for the entire wintering period.

4. Management method: Move the beehives to a cool place in summer, or build a shed over the beehives to protect them from the sun.

6. How to get started with beekeeping?

1. Beekeeping site

The site for beekeeping must meet the requirements of quiet surroundings, fresh air, mild climate and abundant nectar sources. It is best to choose a sparsely populated field, orchard or hillside, preferably a sunny, moisture-proof and windproof area.

2. Prepare tools

Before raising bees, you need to prepare basic beekeeping tools, among which the indispensable ones are beehives, bee bonnets and feeders. In addition, you also need to prepare honey shakers, bee sweepers, scrapers, queen cages, queen excluders, escape prevention sheets, smoke sprayers, etc.

3. Bee colony feeding

Before the wintering period arrives, the bee colony must be supplemented with the feed needed for the entire wintering period. During the spring and autumn breeding periods, reward feeding is also required to speed up the reproduction rate. When the bee colony becomes chaotic, it is necessary to use the soothing feeding method to stabilize the emotions of the bees.

4. Management methods

In the process of beekeeping, when the temperature is high in summer, the beehives should be moved to a cool place in time, or a pergola should be built on the beehives to protect them from the sun. In the cold winter, the beehives can be wrapped with insulating materials such as crop straw and filled with straw.