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CHOOSING YOUR BEEHIVE

You want to become only a hobbyist, and your stomach turns over from excitement.

Then you take a sideway glance at the bigger more established beekeepers and your heart drops into your shoes. It seems there is so much to know. Will you ever be able to do it? Yes, of course you will! Any challenge is handled one bite at a time and so is beekeeping. The fun is in growing with your project, learning as you go and for sure making your own few trials and errors. Keep in mind that there are many guidelines in keeping bees but be assured that beekeepers even differ amongst themselves as to how beekeeping is done. The advice works for one person and then the same advice not for another. The reasons: difference in the environment, plant types, pests, and lots more. So, the advice given in my blogs are guidelines and as you grow with your bees, you will change your way of working as it suits you.

So which hive design is the best? And what should you look out for when buying your first hive?

Understand local regulations and guidelines regarding hive types, placement, and numbers allowed in your area.
Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of management, bee behaviour, and honey production.
Consider your local climate and location. Some hives may be better suited to specific climates or environments.
Look for a hive design that facilitates easy inspection and management tasks such as hive inspections, pest control, and harvesting honey.
Consider your beekeeping goals, whether it's honey production, pollination, or conservation. Choose a hive type that aligns with your objectives.
Ensure that necessary equipment such as frames, foundations, and other hive components are readily available for your chosen hive type.
Evaluate the ease of assembly and ongoing maintenance requirements of the hive.
Choose a hive made from durable materials that can withstand the elements and last for many years with proper care.
If you plan to move the hive or if you live in an area prone to wildfires or floods, consider the transportability and portability of the hive.
While not essential, some beekeepers may consider the aesthetics of the hive, especially if it will be visible in a garden or urban setting.
Join a local beekeeping group or association in our area who can offer guidance and advice.

There are a few designs of hives and they have been tried and tested by many (top bar hive, flow hive, concrete hive) My personal experience is that the Langstroth hive works the best for me. This hive was designed in 1851 by American Apiarist and Clergyman Lorenzo Langstroth. It was the first hive with movable frames to make maintenance and harvesting easier. The other designs are worth trying if you have the money to splash out for playing. As a hive of any design is expensive, start off with one hive if you are a hobbyist. This will give you more confidence and you will not feel overwhelmed when you open the lid and the bees of 3 close standing hives also come to see what you are doing.

Let us start with the purchase of the hive. There are many local bee farmers that build hives and then there are beekeeping suppliers that sell bee hives and hive equipment. No matter where you buy, take note of the following:

See that the wood of the hive is treated. (Waxol or other wax finish)
The frames must fit in tightly into the brood box, that means right up against each other. The corner of one frame must touch the corner of the next frame.
The spacing between the frames must be the same.
The wires on the frames must be firmly strung.
The corners of the frames must be firmly joined (glue and nail / screw or dovetail joined)
The frames must be straight, even a slight bend in the wood frame can cause the bees to build a wobbly comb.
When you buy a hive, see that you add at least another 10 extra frames to your purchase bundle. If you need to replace a frame at any stage, you want to be sure that the replacement frame is the same as the other in the hive. Irregular frame sizes bring irregular comb structure.
It is advisable to buy the super box and the queen divider at the same time, then you have it ‘ready to go’ when it is needed on your brood box in time to come.

This is the very basics of choosing your first hive. Later we will look at choosing a brood box with a loose base, so the outer frame can be lifted off the base to double up on another hive already in production.

But let us keep it simple for the start ….. next we will look at placing your hive - happy shopping!!

STARTING UP WITH BEEKEEPING

When we look at starting up with beekeeping, a few pointers are needed. Of course, you are not immediately starting as a professional beekeeper with a hundred hives unless one has inherited so many (I wish). It is worth your while to learn a few tips beforehand, which can cut down a lot on the trial and error path. In choosing a bee suit for a start, there are many designs available. In trying a few of the designs, I have ended up with a design that were the most practical for me. A few pointers:

My personal choice

Our South African honeybees are hardy, tough, and strong fighters. A suit that covers from top to bottom as a one piece, with a flap that covers the area where the zip closes. It is amazing how a bee can find the tiniest little opening in the suit, and quickly call its friends to join in crawling through into your hoody.

Choose a bee suit that is one or even two sizes bigger than what you were normally wear. A tightfitting suit will restrict free movement and will not allow for extra clothing to be added underneath for extra protection.

Gumboots a definite, as any sport shoes, closed shoes, or even hiking boots can still allow for bees to crawl onto the ankles when one bends over to work on the hives and the bottom pant legs pull up.

Leather gloves are a must for normal hive maintenance, bee stings do not easily penetrate the leather.

Orange PVC gloves are the better choice when working with honey, as it can be easily washed. But advising to wear a cheaper thin glove on the inside of the PVC glove for extra protection. Bees for sure can sting through the PVC glove. The extra inner gloves also assist in preventing any sweaty smell that will be left afterwards in the PVC glove.

I have found that wearing a slightly thick long sleeve top and long pants underneath the bee suit gives me more piece of mind. You do not want to be surprised by a burning sensation when the bee finds you have bent over, the material stretches tight, and it stings you through the suit when you least expect it. Tried and tested, and yes, they can sting through the suit.

Once you have chosen your bee suit, you have taken the first step to working with piece of mind on your hive and its colony.

Then you take a sideway glance at the bigger more established beekeepers and your heart drops into your shoes. It seems there is so much to know. Will you ever be able to do it? Yes, of course you will! Any challenge is handled one bite at a time and so is beekeeping. The fun is in growing with your project, learning as you go and for sure making your own few trials and errors. Keep in mind that there are many guidelines in keeping bees but be assured that beekeepers even differ amongst themselves as to how beekeeping is done. The advice works for one person and then the same advice not for another. The reasons: difference in the environment, plant types, pests, and lots more. So, the advice given in my blogs are guidelines and as you grow with your bees, you will change your way of working as it suits you.

So which hive design is the best? And what should you look out for when buying your first hive?

-Understand local regulations and guidelines regarding hive types, placement, and numbers allowed in your area.

-Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of management, bee behaviour, and honey production.

-Consider your local climate and location. Some hives may be better suited to specific climates or environments.

-Look for a hive design that facilitates easy inspection and management tasks such as hive inspections, pest control, and harvesting honey.

-Consider your beekeeping goals, whether it's honey production, pollination, or conservation. Choose a hive type that aligns with your objectives.

-Ensure that necessary equipment such as frames, foundations, and other hive components are readily available for your chosen hive type.

-Evaluate the ease of assembly and ongoing maintenance requirements of the hive.

-Choose a hive made from durable materials that can withstand the elements and last for many years with proper care.

-If you plan to move the hive or if you live in an area prone to wildfires or floods, consider the transportability and portability of the hive.

-While not essential, some beekeepers may consider the aesthetics of the hive, especially if it will be visible in a garden or urban setting.

-Join a local beekeeping group or association in our area who can offer guidance and advice.

There are a few designs of hives and they have been tried and tested by many (top bar hive, flow hive, concrete hive) My personal experience is that the Langstroth hive works the best for me. This hive was designed in 1851 by American Apiarist and Clergyman Lorenzo Langstroth. It was the first hive with movable frames to make maintenance and harvesting easier. The other designs are worth trying if you have the money to splash out for playing. As a hive of any design is expensive, start off with one hive if you are a hobbyist. This will give you more confidence and you will not feel overwhelmed when you open the lid and the bees of 3 close standing hives also come to see what you are doing.

Let us start with the purchase of the hive. There are many local bee farmers that build hives and then there are beekeeping suppliers that sell bee hives and hive equipment. No matter where you buy, take note of the following:

-See that the wood of the hive is treated. (Waxol or other wax finish)

-The frames must fit in tightly into the brood box, that means right up against each other. The corner of one frame must touch the corner of the next frame.

-The spacing between the frames must be the same.

-The wires on the frames must be firmly strung.

-The corners of the frames must be firmly joined (glue and nail / screw or dovetail joined)

-The frames must be straight, even a slight bend in the wood frame can cause the bees to build a wobbly comb.

-When you buy a hive, see that you add at least another 10 extra frames to your purchase bundle. If you need to replace a frame at any stage, you want to be sure that the replacement frame is the same as the other in the hive. Irregular frame sizes bring irregular comb structure.

-It is advisable to buy the super box and the queen divider at the same time, then you have it ‘ready to go’ when it is needed on your brood box in time to come.

This is the very basics of choosing your first hive. Later we will look at choosing a brood box with a loose base, so the outer frame can be lifted off the base to double up on another hive already in production.

But let us keep it simple for the start ….. next we will look at placing your hive - happy shopping!!

THE EAGERNESS OF THE BEGINNER BEEKEEPER

When a potential hobbyist beekeeper starts thinking of setting up a first hive, there are for certain a few things to keep in mind. So allow me the opportunity to tell you about my first mistake, and maybe it will assist in skipping the first trail and error phase for you as a hobbyist beekeeper starting up.

It is for sure exciting to see a swarm of bees being handled by a professional, the bug bites and the mind races. And you can think of nothing else but to buy your first hive. Well, that was me anyway. So out I race to buy my first hive and place it slap bang in nature amongst a think bunch of trees which allows for very little sunlight (first mistake). I also placed it straight on the ground, and not lifting it on a stand or any structure (second mistake). But more about those mistakes in another article.

Two weeks later I happily hopped along to check my beehive, and great was the excitement to see a HUGE swarm of bees has moved in. What now? But I did not think at all to be honest. With my T-shirt and short pants as enough protective gear (third mistake), I lifted the lid, and the hive was swarming with bees inside. One bee circled me with a deep buzzing sound (that was the warning buzz to stay away) and I got startled and dropped the lid back in place with a bang. Well, that was the ultimate stirrer for the swarm. But I was determined to have one last look. I lifted the lid again, and the first sting was one that I will remember as it was in my neck. That set of the whole swarm of bees as fighting pheromones were released by the dying bee, and they came for me in numbers. I dropped the lid again, and sped off to my car. The number of stings on my body were too many to count. I slammed my car doors closed and the last few that followed me inside, had their final goodbye stings and I sat hyperventilating. My body shook of the andrenaline pump and I was completely alone (fourth mistake). So a few pointers:

- Never work on bees alone, have a partner working alongside in case of an emergency

- See too it that you do a beekeeping beginners course for the start-up of your hive

- Choose your protective gear correctly, even in choosing gear one can make mistakes (more about protective gear in the article to follow).

THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE HONEY BEE

Humankind has forever been formalizing theories in terms of the beginning of earth. The mention of years in figures, whether it is a billion years or two thousand years, figures are not that important. What is important is the beginning of life on earth. After the earth was covered with water no life form existed in the way of life in plants or even land animals. But then the water level dropped, and new life started in the way of vegetation and insect life. For most plants to multiply it needed insects to pollinate the plants.

The very first bees were most likely solitary bees. They did not form colonies but existed and lived individually. Over time some of the bee species developed social behaviour. Some of the bee species formed colonies while others continued their solitary lifestyles. Because of the social behaviour patterns, a diverse range of bee species have formed.

Some of the solitary bees in South Africa: Leafcutter bee, Carder bee, Plasterer bee, Alodapula bee.

And so in South Africa we find only two species of bees that provide honey, but more about that in another future article.

The earliest recorded bee was found in Myanmar, Burma, encased in amber and dated as 100 million years old. Discovering honey was as life changing as discovering fire. Early hunters have not yet discovered a bee suit, so removing honey was as painful as picking up a burning stick. The bravery to collect honey was worth it, because mankind has already developed a sweet tooth.

Honey was used as sweetener for food and alcoholic drinks in ancient times, and also an antiseptic used in embalming the dead.

So important was bees, that children were named after bees (Deborah - Hebrew, Melissa – Greek)

Bee swarms were robbed where they nested, The nests were completely destroyed, and the swarms sadly effected in losing their brood and larvaes as the honey comb was pulled from the nests, Lack of knowledge as to when honey was ready for harvesting, was not available to the earlier generations, so many swarms were lost in nature.. Egyptians were the first to start keeping hives upside down in straw baskets, which was not the best method at the time, but it was the beginning of ‘domesticating’ bees.