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Grow all you can eat on your own allotment.
grow your own
20:32, 10th May 2014
Smallholding for Sale in North Devon
Three bedroom detached house in 18 acres for sale - North Devon, UK
smallholding
20:48, 17th Mar 2013
Nettles
Find out more about nettles - how to benefit from them and how to get rid of them
foraging
16:12, 13th Apr 2012
Making Nettle Beer
Find out how to make your nettle beer
recipes
16:10, 13th Apr 2012
How to Make Sloe Gin
Find out how to make your own sloe gin
recipes
14:40, 13th Apr 2012
Grow Your Own Chilli Peppers
Find out how to grow your own chilli peppers
grow your own
13:33, 16th Mar 2012
Home Beekeeping
Find out more about keeping bees in your garden for honey
grow your own
15:40, 4th Jan 2012
Storing Apples
Find out how to store apples
fruits
13:23, 28th Jul 2011
Home Beekeeping
Find out more about keeping bees in your garden for honey
Home Beekeeping
grow your own | livestock
It is possible to keep bees in even the smallest of back gardens or on flat rooftops. With just a little effort each week it is possible to have your very own supply of delicious local honey. Even in city centres there are enough flowers with pollen to keep a hive thriving.
How to Start Beekeeping
Without the necessary basic knowledge it is impossible to look after bees properly. Some time must be spent in the company of an experienced professional beekeeper possibly as part of a formal beekeeping course before you rush in and start buying hives and bees. Click here to visit the official British Beekeepers Association website to find your local beekeeping association, beekeeping courses, and for more background information about bees and beekeeping.Buying Bees
Bees are typical sold as a nucleus (nuc) - this is a complete honey bee colony comprising a laying queen, bees, honey and frames to be slotted into your hive. They are typically available for sale in the early summer months though there is availability through the year if required with young queens available by the middle of the summer. A queen will live for 3-4 years after which a new queen will need to be purchased or new queens can be raised by the beekeeper. (See this article Raising Honey Bee Queens for more information.) Ideally the bees and queen should be obtained from a local source since they will then be perfectly suited to your local environment.
The Bee Hive
A hive is a man-made home for honey bees. It is basically a lidded box into which are slotted frames onto which the bees build their honeycomb structure and store honey. One beehive houses one colony consisting of one queen bee, a few hundred drones (males) and from 10,000 to 50,000 worker bees (female) depending on the time of year (more in the summer).
Other Essential Beekeeping Equipment
The most important item for any aspiring beekeeper is the beekeeping suit. This is a protective suit with veiled helmet which covers the whole body, head, and face so that the bees cannot sting you. The chosen suit must be well ventilated since the beekeeper is busiest during the hot summer months, comfortable, and well fitted. Hygenic gloves must also be worn - typically made of leather or rubber to protect against stings. The suit and gloves will be white since bees sense a threat when they see a dark shape (bears?) attacking their hive.
Pictured above is a beekeeper's smoker used to calm bees so that the hive can be opened without the bees going defensive. The smoke masks chemical pheromones released by the hive's guard bees and also that from any bees which may be squashed as the hive is opened and manipulated by the beekeeper.
Pictured above is a hive tool - this is used to remove the frames from a bee hive and for other hive maintenance.
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Article Published: 15:40, 4th Jan 2012
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