Sources of Bees When Starting Your Bee Farming
Honey bees are among the most profitable investments in today’s world. They generate products used in various cosmetic and therapeutic merchandise. The bees also play a crucial role in pollination and will thus guarantee a healthy crop for any farmer. Though bats, birds and other insects are also pollinators, bees can be moved from one place to the next for pollination and are available in large numbers since they live in colonies.
Getting beekeeping supplies online is only the initial step in bee farming. This is far more convenient compared to walking from one store to the next looking for bee farming supplies. It will also be cheaper since you can compare prices easily across different stores and even work out a healthy bargain. Getting honey bees to your hive is nonetheless not as easy as buying the best hive and hanging it in the right place. Here are the methods of acquiring your bee colony to start your farming.
These are easy to collect with the equipment you can source from a bee farming supplies shop specifically for attracting swarms. The swarms are generally fun and easy to collect and though large will be easy to handle. The swarm availability is however unpredictable and production of honey in the initial year is generally unlikely.
Before embarking on getting the ideal bee colony using any of the above techniques, you should have a foolproof marketing strategy. Profits in beekeeping are determined by the production of quality honey, attractive labels and containers, and an efficient advertising program. You should also team up with the best supplier for your bee farming to guarantee you offer dependable service and generate an established client base.
Established Colonies
Though costly, you can get your first bee colony from an established or overwintered colony. Before purchasing the bees in this case, get a bee inspector to guarantee the bees you get are disease-free. Opting for an established colony guarantees you the presence of a queen that will lay and increase your colony’s number. You can also be assured of a honey crop within the first season. Handling an established bee colony as a beginner beekeeper might, unfortunately, prove challenging.Nucleus Colonies
These comprise five or four frames of honey, pollen, adult and brood bees along with a laying queen. All the frames in a nucleus colony should have adult bees. Nucleus colonies are less costly compared to established colonies and can generate a honey crop within your first bee farming year. The bees are also not as strong as those in established colonies and will be easy for beginners to handle.Package Bees
These are caged worker bees that come with a queen. They include three, two, or five-pound bees with the queen in a separate cage and a sugar canister for feeding the bees during their transportation. Package bees are cheaper compared to nucleus bees and established colonies and easy for novice farmers to handle. There is also minimal risk of your bees having a serious disease. There is nonetheless minimal chance of the bees generating honey in the initial year, and you should feed the bees until the nectar starts flowing.Swarms
These are easy to collect with the equipment you can source from a bee farming supplies shop specifically for attracting swarms. The swarms are generally fun and easy to collect and though large will be easy to handle. The swarm availability is however unpredictable and production of honey in the initial year is generally unlikely.
Before embarking on getting the ideal bee colony using any of the above techniques, you should have a foolproof marketing strategy. Profits in beekeeping are determined by the production of quality honey, attractive labels and containers, and an efficient advertising program. You should also team up with the best supplier for your bee farming to guarantee you offer dependable service and generate an established client base.