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Go Online For Beekeeping Supplies Indiana

By Larry Hamilton


Keeping bees is a great hobby. It can be lucrative and is about as patriotic and green as you can get. In one enterprise, you can learn about one of nature's most fascinating creatures, play a vital part in American agriculture, save the planet, and spend pleasant hours outdoors in a world of sunshine, flowers, and gentle music. If this sounds good, you'll want to learn about beekeeping supplies Indiana.

By going online, you can learn about the things you'll need to keep honeybees. There are many fine USA manufacturers of wooden hives, as well as economical plastic versions. As you browse the sites, you'll learn the vocabulary and can read about the basics of honeybee care.

Help is as close as your local extension office. State universities reach out to communities through these offices, and volunteers sign up to help people get started in various agricultural fields. Lots of people want to help others keep bees.

Some of the things you'll need to have a home apiary include the hive (outer box) that shelters the colony, the frames that you stack on top of each other, and the feeders that provide extra nutrition during hot, dry spells or the colder months. There are various sizes of frames, from deep ones for the 'brood' (eggs and larvae) to shallow ones that hold the honeycomb. Beginner's kits are available to make getting started easier.

In addition to honeybee hives, frames, and 'supers' (frames where the bees can store extra honey - which you can harvest!), you can buy special tools. You'll need to open and inspect the hives. There are brushes to move the bees gently, gently out of the way when you need to work around them. You'll need to protect the hive from parasites that threaten the colony, and feed the bees during the winter or during hot, dry spells.

Protective clothing is important, since honeybee stings are painful and can be dangerous to people who are allergic to their venom. Even the most docile bees will get upset when their hive is disturbed. Full-body suits, hats and veils to cover the head completely, and gloves come in different sizes for adults and children.

There are other kinds of bees that don't make honey for humans. Mason bees are the native, tiny ones you may have seen hovering around a spike of mint or lavender. They don't sting enough to notice, being notoriously non-aggressive, and are very low-maintenance. You can help them thrive by giving them moisture-proof shelter in a sunny spot and surrounding their home range (100 yards in every direction) with the plants they need for food.

Bees are one of the most fascinating creatures in our world, as well as perhaps the most beneficial to humans. Anyone from the east coast to the west that can make a home for any of the bees is doing us all a favor. Indiana is a perfect place for beekeeping.




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