Tag: beekeeping

  • Hive Management

    Hive Management

    Book Review: Hive Management
    Buy at Amazon

    The beekeeper’s year begins with a late winter hive inspection and ends with “putting the bees to bed” in the autumn. Richard Bonney believes that each beekeeping activity should be performed with an eye toward the overall well-being of the colony, as part of an integrated year-round program of hive management.

    Long-term success in beekeeping can only be achieved by understanding the intimate lives, behaviors, and motivations of honey bees — the factors which govern the life of each colony.

    In this book, Richard Bonney explains the reasons behind common practices that many beekeepers perform without really knowing why.

    He also stresses when to take timely actions that will prevent problems in future seasons.

    Hive Management offers concise, up-to-date information on the whole range of beekeeping tasks, including:

    — How to prevent, control, and capture swarms.

    — What you can tell from an outside inspection of your hives.

    — When and how to “take the crop” and harvest honey.

    — How to successfully requeen — from handling and marking queens to methods of introducing one into a hive.

    — The problem signs to look for when you open up a hive.

    For the practicing beekeeper who needs more information, or for the serious novice who wants to start out right, Hive Management offers sensible advice to help keep your honey bees thriving.

  • PRN Episode #18 Top Bar Beekeeping for Preppers

    PRN Episode #18 Top Bar Beekeeping for Preppers

    PRN Episode #18 Top Bar Beekeeping for Preppers
    Buy at Amazon

    Beekeeping can be as simple or complex, as expensive or inexpensive as you make it.  It just depends on what your goals, budget, and willingness to work.

    In today’s show, David talks about the basics of top bar beekeeping.  This is a simple method of keeping bees that only requires a bare minimum of gear.  Therefore, it is well suited to the preparedness/self reliant lifestyle.

    There are some drawbacks to beekeeping this way, the most observable is that you get less honey and more wax than with “traditional” box style hives, but, as David explains, that may be a plus.

    This is a very valuable resource that preppers should not discount, as honey is invaluable both as a sweeter, a base for alcohol, and as a medicine.  The wax also has hundreds of very important uses in it’s own right.

    I have several beehives, both the traditional as well as a Top Bar Hive I am experimenting with.  I think that there is a lot to be said for TBH beekeeping, but their is not a lot of support in my area.

    The show is scheduled for Monday at 10pm central time at this link.

    If you cannot listen on Monday, you can always download the podcast for listening at your own leisure.