The Drone is male and the Queen and Workers are female
Honey Bee Anatomy
Life-cycle of the Bees
Products of the Bee Colony
Bee Stings
Beekeeping in History
The Beehive
Getting Started
Getting started
If you are starting beekeeping from scratch you will need to buy a nucleus of bees. A nucleus is a young colony of bees covering just a few frames inside the hive
Before taking delivery of the bees you must take the following steps:
- Choose a good site for the hive
- Order the hive well in advance as there may be a waiting list at the start of the new season
- Plan your first year of beekeeping carefully and remember that it is a long-term and time-consuming commitment.
What you need before you start
The nucleus of bees should be ordered from the supplier in the late Winter for delivery in the Spring, their arrival depends on the weather.
- A clean hive stocked with new frames and wax foundation.
- Full protective clothing.
- A smoker, fuel and a lighter.
- A hive tool to prise apart the frames of the nucleus.
- A white sheet to place in front of the hive as you transfer bees from their travelling box. If you drop the queen or any other bees you will see them and hopefully not trample on them.
A nucleus consisting of around five frames housing approximately 10,000 bees can be dispatched to you in a travelling box. The bees can travel quite safely by train in the box and can be left unattended for a few days. They should be transferred from the box to the hive as soon as possible however because the queen will be laying eggs rapidly and the bees quickly become overcrowded. http://www.hsbka.org/ind_bee/started.php
Working With Beeswax
Cooking with Honey
Cooking with Honey
