Honey bee farms

Categories: All about bees, Bee hive keeping, How to keep bees |



Area with families and hives of bees, beekeeping and bee-built facilities – is called the apiary – honey bee gardens or honey bee farms.

Honey bee farms - honey bee gardens (4)

The whole bee farm consists of separate apiaries. There is the central apiary, where there is common winter-houses for bees, honeycombs’ warehouse, workshop, room for processing and pumping of honey. Sometimes it happens, there is a house for the beekeeper.

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A big advantage is if you have good access to roads, drinking sources and, of course, the natural habitat of the bees.

The apiary needs to be placed near honey arrays, on the plain, dry place, protected from winds by bushes or trees. Area should be slightly inclined to drain rainwater and meltwater. It should not be placed near large lakes and rivers, even if on the opposite side are arrays of honey plants. It is impossible to be nearby public places, carriage roads, enterprises processing sweeteners, farmyards, and on flights (paths, where the bees  fly through other apiaries on a way to honey plant).

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It is important to place apiaries within spatial isolation (5-7 km) (3-4 miles). This allows the beekeeper to use public trough (in the event that no contagious diseases in apiaries).

Hives in the apiary should be placed in the calculation of 20-40 m2 (215.28 square feet) per bee colony. They are arranged in staggered rows – at a distance of 6 m (19,6′) from each other and at least 4 m (13,1′) between rows. Also they can be placed in groups of 3-5 hives, or in pairs, but entrances must be always in different directions. Hives are placed on pegs or stand with a slight slant forward so the rain water doesn’t drop to the tap hole.

Honey bee farms - honey bee gardens (3)

Denser hives are placed on the type of backyard apiaries. Up to 15 colonies at the same time may be an area of 3×5 m (9*16′)

It is known that in one year the service of one bee colony requires 834 minutes. And it is required 5-6 hours in one week to serve 10 hives in the spring and summer.

The result is a year-round operation of beekeeper are strong families. Only if you can have a healthy spring bees , if  help get them out of hibernation losslessly. You need to arrange them properly prepared for life in winter.

In spring and summer, you need to create all the conditions for the cultivation of high-grade, strong and well-developed offspring. Throughout the season, you should regularly provide them with steady harvest, as well as  maintain a usable state in families.

Only with strong bee families you can achieve high honey collection. This is proved by practice of beekeepers. Strong bee colony  tolerate the winter and adverse weather conditions easier, more resistant to disease. It grows more hardy and better quality offspring, allocates more wax and collect more honey, better pollinating crops.

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Honey bee farms

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