If you are ready to start beekeeping as a hobby, business, side business, or study, then you will have thought about the needed hives and the equipment, so your next step will be in acquiring the bees, which to some people is confusing, because there is more than one way of getting these.
-Purchase a Colony-
Colonies can be purchased from local beekeepers or beekeeping product suppliers. If you are a real beginner, this maybe the ideal way to getting your honey bees, although it is also the most expensive way. The colony will contain a queen, workers, drones, and frames of honeycomb with brood. Some even contain honey to feed the bees.
-Purchasing a Nucleus-
When purchasing a nucleus, you get a queen and a few frames of worker bees with a small foundation. This will consist of three to five frames, which is a good start for your hive, but is a bit slower than if you purchase the whole colony.
-The Package-
Packages can be purchased from local beekeepers or breeders. It will have a queen and about three pounds of worker bees only. This means you will need to feed the bees with some type of syrup till they can work for themselves.
-The Swarm-
This is probably the most economical way of getting your bees, but it is also the riskiest, and very hard. This is the method where you catch your own swarm. As a beginner this is not the best option because you are not used to the way bees react, or whether they have been Africanized, or not. Swarms can carry diseases, or even mites, and these will be hard for a beginner to deal with.
-When Should You Acquire Your Bees?-
April or May is the right time to start your hive. If you plan on buying them from a commercial supplier, order them in advice, so that they are delivered in spring. When you buy bees later than June, then they will not have enough time to make enough honey for their winter and thus surviving. This means you will lose the bees and the money you invested as well.
-The Money You Spend-
Once you have an idea of how the bee keeping process works you then need to research on the cost of bees. This way you can prepare a budget. Generally speaking your start up may run from about $500.00 to over $1,000.00 but this depends on the number of bees you buy and the hives as well.
-What to Expect?-
You shouldn't expect to make your money back on that first year's investment. It is going to take a while for a colony to get big and to build up its strength, and even then not every beekeeper is successful in a year. Sometimes it maybe natural, so don't be afraid in starting all over again, if you lose the bees. You just have to chuck it up to a learning experience.
-Purchase a Colony-
Colonies can be purchased from local beekeepers or beekeeping product suppliers. If you are a real beginner, this maybe the ideal way to getting your honey bees, although it is also the most expensive way. The colony will contain a queen, workers, drones, and frames of honeycomb with brood. Some even contain honey to feed the bees.
-Purchasing a Nucleus-
When purchasing a nucleus, you get a queen and a few frames of worker bees with a small foundation. This will consist of three to five frames, which is a good start for your hive, but is a bit slower than if you purchase the whole colony.
-The Package-
Packages can be purchased from local beekeepers or breeders. It will have a queen and about three pounds of worker bees only. This means you will need to feed the bees with some type of syrup till they can work for themselves.
-The Swarm-
This is probably the most economical way of getting your bees, but it is also the riskiest, and very hard. This is the method where you catch your own swarm. As a beginner this is not the best option because you are not used to the way bees react, or whether they have been Africanized, or not. Swarms can carry diseases, or even mites, and these will be hard for a beginner to deal with.
-When Should You Acquire Your Bees?-
April or May is the right time to start your hive. If you plan on buying them from a commercial supplier, order them in advice, so that they are delivered in spring. When you buy bees later than June, then they will not have enough time to make enough honey for their winter and thus surviving. This means you will lose the bees and the money you invested as well.
-The Money You Spend-
Once you have an idea of how the bee keeping process works you then need to research on the cost of bees. This way you can prepare a budget. Generally speaking your start up may run from about $500.00 to over $1,000.00 but this depends on the number of bees you buy and the hives as well.
-What to Expect?-
You shouldn't expect to make your money back on that first year's investment. It is going to take a while for a colony to get big and to build up its strength, and even then not every beekeeper is successful in a year. Sometimes it maybe natural, so don't be afraid in starting all over again, if you lose the bees. You just have to chuck it up to a learning experience.
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How to Start Raising Bees supplies more reviews, check out this link: How to start honey business.
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