Does the thought of your own homemade honey sound appealing? Are you curious about the strange and wondrous lives of honeybees? Not allergic? Want to do your part to keep healthy, happy bees in our world? Then beekeeping might be right for you.
How Bees Make Honey
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Before you jump in and start ordering supplies, let's take a step back and understand exactly how a hive works and what bees do. Bees make nests in nature, fly to flowers and extract nectar, then bring the nectar back to the hive and comb, where it slowly becomes honey.
How to Set Up Your Beehive
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To keep bees, you need a beehive. You will provide a man-made hive for your bees so you can help maintain the colony and easily harvest the honey.
There are a few different choices for the backyard or larger-scale beekeeper. Langstroth and top-bar hives are the most commonly found types.
Beekeeping Tasks
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What is involved in taking care of your bees? Much like gardening, beekeeping tasks are best divided by the season.
Beekeeping Supplies
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What do you need to really get started beekeeping? Learn what are the essential supplies, and what you can do without for now. Remember: start small, so you can make changes if you change your mind later.
