The activity of keeping bees is beneficial to everyone on the planet from human beings, plants and to the animals. Simply because bees play an important role in the pollination of most of the crops that are being produced by farmers, making them absolutely necessary to the farming community if they’ll look forward to a successful harvest of crops.

Some parts of the world have picked up exponential decline in bee populations, and this result threatens the supply of crops that are for human consumption. This does not just affect agricultural crops, but much more plants that depend on pollination are also under threat, and if no action is taken life on the planet can be affected negatively. It’s unthinkable what might happen to the planet if honeybees were to be wiped off the face of the planet. SO raising honey bees is not just about profits but adding value and keeping nature and the planet in perfect equilibrium.

Honey has healing properties to many ailments , it strengthens weak immune system and bee stings have also been used by many natural therapists to cure certain illnesses. For anyone who’s looking to start honey beekeeping but don’t know which direction to go, there are 6 tips that I have compiled to help them get started.

Tip #1. Research:-
There’s more to keeping bees than what meets the eye, it’s not about getting some bees and throwing them in hives placed in an obscure corner of your backyard and just checking them once in a while. Bee species vary and it’s advisable that find out which kind can thrive the most in your region. (Make sure that you get registered with your local beekeeper’s association as they can be able to inform you about rules & regulations of keeping honeybess in your state.)

Also you’ll need to acquire some knowledge about diseases, pests and predators that could hinder the growth of your hives and what can be done should you come across some of these hurdles.

Tip #2. Acquire Equipment & Supplies:-
The minute you choose that this is the path you would like to embark on, the next phase is to get all the tools & equipment necessary in raising bees that are productive. You need a beekeepers suit to protect you from bee stings Whenever you are checking on the hives, the smoker to help calm the bees down whenever you’re checking up on the hives. You will need hives where your bees are going to reside and an apiary for your hives, make sure that it is an area where your honeybees won’t pose a threat to your neighbours and their animals.

Tip #3. Getting The Hives Ready:-
Two hives is the correct number for someone starting out, and then grow from there. You can look at it as your honey factory where the bees are going to produce and store the honey for you until you’re ready to have it harvested. The hive must consist a brood chamber where the queen is going to be placed so she can begin the egg laying phase. A single hive is made to house about ten frames but only nine should be placed inside to make room so you don’t crush the bees during check up.

It is important that your hives are in a good location where there is not much human traffic as the bees might cause a traffic of their own when collecting food. It should also quick access to water and foraging sources, should your apiary not have natural food and water sources you can offer some help to your bees by creating artificial ones. Simply put a water pond and a syrup mixture for your bees so they won’t have to travel long distances when collecting food. It’s vital when placing the hives that the opening faces east or south so that they can be they get warm quickly and easily in the morning and it should more than enough shade during those hot summer days.

Tip #4. Get the Bees:-
There are various avenues of getting bees but for a beginner, it is always advisable that they purchase bees for their maiden hive. A starter packed colony consists of a prolific queen, the drones and worker bees. Once again your local beekeepers association can give you a list of reputable breeders that can sell you good healthy bees.

Tip #5 Get the Bees Working:-
I’m certain that you’ve come across the phrase “busy as a bee” because the moment the queen has been placed in her new home, everyone will start doing their part. However an excellent keeper of bees will not leave to fate but make it easier for the bees; by giving them sugar syrup and water sources so that they can right down to the business of building up honey in the combs.

In the beginning inspect the hives at least two or three times a week just make sure they are settling in well in their new environment. The first year of honey production will be purely for the bees to meet their survival requirements, so it’s imperative that you harvest a little or not at all and leave them a sufficient quantity as storage for the winter.

Tip #6. Harvest Time:-
The first year you just have to harvest a small quantity of honey, but in the following seasons you can begin to harvest bigger quantities. But before you begin harvesting you should be able to spot the signs of ready honey. Honey’s ripe and ready when you observe the cells and you can clearly see them capped. Remove the frames from the hives, using a special brush for bees, remove all the dead bees and debris from the honey comb then put back the frames.

I would like to reiterate that if you’re completely new to beekeeping and you don’t have any experience with this activity to acquire a beekeeping guide by clicking one of the above links. It has all the necessary step-by-step information to help you succeed in this rich and rewarding endeavour.