beekeeping •

Learn how to handle bees.

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Beekeeping has become quite popular over the last few years. But this bee hobby is unique as it requires a lot of skill and dedication.

Still, it is good news that there is a growing interest in this activity because bees are facing a large variety of threats. Bees pollinate around 90 percent of the world’s crops which represent 70 percent of the entire planet’s source of food.

In other words, if all bees die, we will all starve. These insects have to deal with dangerous climate changes, pesticides, human ignorance, pollution, and other pests such as mites. Worse, around 44 percent of the bee colonies die every year, meaning that bees might not have such a bright future.

These top pollinators need our attention the most. To become a successful beekeeper, you need to have a basic knowledge about them and to follow a simple set of rules that will help you maintain not only the bees’ number but also improve the quality of your beehives.

First of all, if you want to start with the right foot, you have to be passionate about bees. Experts advise beginner beekeepers to purchase an excellent beehive as it will be the home of these insects. There are many sizes and shapes of beehives, so everyone can afford buying one.

You also need to protect yourself by purchasing a beekeeping suit that will prevent bees from getting any close to your skin. This suit is also safe for bees because they will not die trying to protect the hive from you. The full equipment includes a set of gloves, clothing, hat, and a veil.

Another important piece of advice for beekeepers is to place their beehive in a wide area, not too close to other people’s houses or your garden. In addition to this, the beehives should always have access to the sun. Bees can be acquired from more experienced beekeepers, local beekeeping association, or from online stores.

You need to make sure that your bees have enough plants and flowers in the surrounding area. Beginner beekeepers need to make a bee check a few times a week until they learn to do it perfectly. Still, this process might be stressful for bees so you might want to be quite delicate when you handle them.

Image Source:Wallpaper Zone

Bees need help.

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Everyone knows that bees are an essential part of the world ecosystem as they contribute to its balance by pollinating. Based on the statistics from the United States Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), birds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators contribute in the reproduction of around 80 percent of all flowering plant species.

It means that they pollinate more than a third of the food crops on the planet, such as cocoa, almonds, carrots, apples, coffee, strawberries, pepper, tomatoes, and many others. We can’t imagine what would happen if we stopped having pollinators. Experts believe that most probably we would all begin to starve.

Furthermore, all pollinators, including birds, bats, and bees contribute with 87 percent of world’s food production. But bees and other pollinators have suffered a decline over the last few years because of human ignorance, pesticides, and climate change.

Nowadays, companies, governments, farmers, and gardeners are trying to find new methods to protect pollinators and to encourage the spread of commercial ones. In 2015, a new bee hive was invented that allowed beekeepers to collect the honey without stressing the bees.

Experienced beekeepers underline the fact that stressed colonies are more likely to develop a disease. Plus, independent hives are very useful because they reduce the risk of viruses and mites between colonies which are close to each other. In addition to this, they boost genetic diversity of bees and increase the local crop fertilization.

However, if you want to make sure that your bees make the best honey, then you should plant native species around the place where your hives are. Native species usually require less water, so you won’t have problems maintaining them. Plus, non-native flowering plants most likely do not have enough nectar or pollen.

It is also worth mentioning that you should avoid using fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides because most of them are a threat for pollinators, especially bees. Experts advise beekeepers to rely on a natural fertilizer and non-chemical treatment to deal with pests.

Another important aspect is that you should know how to arrange your garden so that your bees can do their job more efficiently. Therefore, you should avoid heavy mulch and weed mulch because many native species of bees usually nest underground. Plus, fallen organic material such as dead or dying trees, rotting logs, and stumps make a great nest for honey bees.

Image Source:Mental Floss

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