Thursday, May 25, 2017

Go Online For Beekeeping Supplies Indiana

By Larry Hamilton


Keeping bees is a great hobby. It can be lucrative and is about as patriotic and green as you can get. In one enterprise, you can learn about one of nature's most fascinating creatures, play a vital part in American agriculture, save the planet, and spend pleasant hours outdoors in a world of sunshine, flowers, and gentle music. If this sounds good, you'll want to learn about beekeeping supplies Indiana.

There is both help and information waiting at your local extension agency. This outreach of your state universities loves to help people start with bees. They will put you in touch with dedicated volunteers who've had years of hand-on experience.

Help is as close as your local extension office. State universities reach out to communities through these offices, and volunteers sign up to help people get started in various agricultural fields. Lots of people want to help others keep bees.

To get your own honey, you'll need a hive. This outer box holds several 'frames', which are stacking boxes. The frames house the bees, shelter the 'brood' of eggs and larvae, and store the honeycomb that feeds the colony and those of us who love honey. A 'nucleus' is a small hive suitable for the first year, when the colony is getting established. It has from three to five frames. There are beginner's kits for sale, too.

Of course, beekeepers have special tools that make their necessary tasks easier. The hives have to be opened for inspections, cleaning, and to harvest the honey that the colony doesn't need for survival. You can buy a brush to gently move the bees out of your way. Hives are subject to pests and disease, so there are chemicals and natural remedies. Special nectar mixtures are used to feed the insects when their natural food isn't plentiful.

If you work with honeybees, you'll want protective clothing. Most beekeepers wear complete suits to protect them from stings. There are hats with secure veils, body suits, and gloves. These come in sizes for adults and children. Almost all of our honeybees are imported (the native honeybees are afflicted with disease and are rarely found) and remarkably docile, but they can still get upset.

There are other kinds of bees that don't make honey for humans. Mason bees are the native, tiny ones you may have seen hovering around a spike of mint or lavender. They don't sting enough to notice, being notoriously non-aggressive, and are very low-maintenance. You can help them thrive by giving them moisture-proof shelter in a sunny spot and surrounding their home range (100 yards in every direction) with the plants they need for food.

It is so important for home gardeners to have pollinators for their flowers, trees, and orchards that more of us should make a place for bees. Whether you live in Indiana, on the east coast, or by the Pacific Ocean, this is a way to help counter the assault of pesticides and loss of habitat on these important insects. It's also a way to introduce children to the wonderful world of nature, to produce honey for you and your neighbors, or to make sure native species thrive in today's world.




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