Beekeeping is a very popular hobby and obviously the main reason for setting up, maintaining, and stocking a beehive is to harvest the honey. You will know that it is time to harvest the honey (the month depends on your location in the world) when you look into one of your hives and find that the frames of comb are full of honey and that the honey bees have covered it with wax caps.   It’s time to remove the super and keep it in a bee proof room prior to extraction.

When the super is full of capped honeycomb you are going to have to remove the honey bees from that super. There are several commercial chemicals available on the market that will make this easier.  All the bee-keeper has to do is apply the chemical to a fume board or pad and place it on top of the super.  When the honey bees detect the chemical they head to the bottom of the hive to the brood chamber or a part full super below the full one.  This leaves the super full of capped honeycomb and bee free for you to harvest.

This product does not harm the honey bees; the honey bees simply find the scent offensive and move away from it.  Another method bee-keepers use to clear honey bees from a super is by using a crown board with a Porter bee escape fitted.  There is also the Canadian clearer board and the clearing cone; there is also WBC cone escape if required.  Using the escape method can take 24 to 48 hours.

Now that you have removed the super you need to prepare the frames for extraction. The first step in this preparation is to remove the wax caps that the honey bees have used to seal the honey into the comb. Many bee-keepers use between nine and twelve frames in their supers, some modern hives take more frames.  By using the correct number of frames to suit your type of hive you give the honey bees enough room to draw the comb out to the edge of the frame, they then cap it right on the very edge. This makes it easier to remove the wax caps by cutting flush to the frame.  Bee-keepers use a metal knife to remove the caps, the knife works best if the knife blade is hot, after all it’s easier to cut warm wax then it is to cut cold wax. You can keep the knife blade hot by keeping it in hot water.

A tall jug or pitcher that covers the knife blade is ideal. If the container is metal and can be kept on the heat then so much the better.  Some bee-keepers like to use their bread knife to remove the wax caps from the honey comb while others prefer an electrical knife that is designed just for bee-keepers. Another method of removing the caps is by using an uncapping fork.

Once you have removed the caps from the comb the honey is exposed, you can then use a straining cloth or bag or you could secure a piece of cheesecloth over an empty pot or container and put the wax cappings on the cheesecloth the honey will drain through the cheesecloth and the bee’s wax caps will be left on the cheesecloth.  This wax can be processed in a solar wax extractor or in a steamer/melter.  Once the caps are removed from the honey comb the honey is ready to be extracted.

This can be done by resting the frame on its top bar (upside down) in a tray or suspend the frame upside down over a tray.  The honey will drain out of the comb.  The honey comb cells have a slight up turn towards the top bar.  This is to prevent the honey running out when being deposited by the worker bees.  This is not very a very efficient method but is used as a last resort for some if they can’t get access to an extractor.

It is perhaps better if you borrow a centrifugal extractor from a fellow bee-keeper or your local group, club or association. There are many models of extractor I would suggest you seek advice.  You can of course make cut comb honey in 16 oz, 12 oz or 8 oz rectangles.  Rectangular cutters are available or you could use a hot knife and cut your own rectangles.

The beginner is not always able to get the best as an instructor, it is therefore, a good idea to supplement such instruction by a course of reading, and thus be able to make comparisons and discuss the instructor’s methods in the light of those procedures used by others. In fact, I am inclined to think that a thorough course of reading is the most desirable first step that can be taken by a prospective bee-keeper. Having done this, the next step is to subscribe to a honey beekeeping magazine. At this stage a season with an expert bee-keeper would be of great value, when the reading will enable the learner to use the information, and see the reason for things instead of being simply an imitator, following blindly in the footsteps of his teacher.

Many people who now keep honey bees never had any formal training. Many have become interested in honey bees from the capture of a stray swarm. Neighbouring bee-keepers would be visited, books or magazines borrowed or bought, improved hives and methods adopted, and, as the honey bees increased, so did the enthusiasm and interest, until, finally, the honey bees received more time and attention than did the regular business. Then bee-keeping eventually become a speciality or the sole business.

When a person has decided to embark on a bee-keeping venture as a business, they should learn the business thoroughly before investing extensively. No hard and fast rules can be laid down, so much depending upon circumstances. A young man with no established business would do well to pass one or two seasons in the company of some experienced bee-keeper, as has been already suggested, while a more experienced person already in business, with a family to support, may find it advisable to move into bee-keeping gradually, reading and studying as his honey bees’ increase. Whatever the method employed, let the work be thorough; and, especially, be sure to get plenty of actual experience before venturing into honey beekeeping as a business.

On occasions, a person already has some honey bees when he decides to become a full-time bee-keeper. Perhaps he never formally makes any such decision. He captures a stray swarm, and saves the honey bees, and the stock increases with such wonderful speed that the owner becomes a bee-keeper of substance and scarcely realizes it. This amazing speed with which honey bees increase is one strong argument in favour of a person securing a few colonies and building them up into an apiary instead of buying a large number of colonies at the beginning. By rearing queens that will supply the newly made colonies with brood, and you furnishing them with full sheets of comb foundation, the amount by which honey bees can  increase in a favourable season is something almost beyond belief. Just how or where the first colonies come from may well be considered.

Sometimes the person who has steady work, and a good income, can buy honey bees and in the hives that they intend to use. If the honey bees and hives can be obtained locally, from a reliable bee-keeper, so much the better. Of course, there are instances in which a person has more time than money, or there may be a trace of the opportunist in their make-up, and, in either case, the hunting of honey bees, or the putting-out of decoy hives to catch stray swarms, will appeal to them. In those parts of the country where many honey bees are kept, as in Colorado or California, there is no difficulty in catching swarms in decoy hives; in fact, there is difficulty in keeping swarms out of chimneys and the walls of buildings. While out riding one day a man in Colorado, pointed out one house where the walls were covered with five colonies.

He used ordinary boxes instead of hives, and put them pretty high up in tall trees, as a good hive, easily accessible, is quite likely to be stolen.  A piece of old black comb is fastened inside the hive or box, and the hive or box is firmly fastened to the tree so that it is not to be easily blown down, a position being chosen where the hive will be in the shade. A tree on the edge of the woods should be chosen, because, when a swarm reaches the woods, it at once begins a search for a suitable hollow in which to make its home. This is sometimes done in advance by worker bees when foraging.  The hives or boxes are examined at least once a week, more often if there is time, and when one is found to be occupied by honey bees the hive or box is removed and another put in its place.

Honey bees are also found by walking through the woods in the swarming season.  After the honey bees have been found, then the next task is getting them out of the tree and into a hive. Sometimes it is possible to shake them from a light branch into a box, if they are located on a large limb, you might need to cut off the portion where they are located, and lower it by means of a rope. Having captured the honey bees they need to be transferred from the box to a hive. Frames with drawn comb should be put in the hive.  A white cloth or canvas should be placed in front of the hive and the honey bees shaken onto it.  Make sure there is a slight incline up to the hive entrance. If the hive is left on the spot for several hours, perhaps until dusk, nearly all of the live honey bees will go into the hive.

As said at the beginning, if a person has and a reasonable income they might find it more satisfactory to buy honey bees in a hive; but if they have the time and inclination to get a start by hunting honey bees, or by putting up decoy hives, then this should help them to do it.

Different people raise honey bees for different reasons. Some engage themselves in beekeeping in order to produce more bees which can help farmers in increasing the population of flowers in their farm. Some like to produce honey for their own consumption while most people start beekeeping courses as their profession. This means that they keep bees for commercial reasons.

You cannot condemn those people because beekeeping courses is really one of the most satisfying businesses when done in the right way. You are probably wondering how those people can manage bees without hurting themselves. Well, honey bees are not really aggressive creatures as you first know. They will only bite you if they are hurt and they feel that they need to defend themselves. You may love bees and want to reach your own beekeeping success but the problem is you do not have any idea on how to start it. Prior to working on your own beekeeping courses, you should decide first if you are capable of raising bees. There are qualities needed to become successful in this business. One of the common mistakes that beekeepers have is to think that beekeeping is only perfect for those who have wide open space. This is all wrong because you can possibly have your own beehive even if you have a small garden area. In fact, you can also place your hive in your balcony provided that it has a lot of plants and flowers for a greater beekeeping success. As a beekeeper, you should understand how your bee behaves. And also you should know the needs of your bees in order to grow and become healthy. But of course, aside from gathering information about successful beekeeping, you should also purchase supplies which can make your work easier. You do not have to spend too much just to make sure that you will have the best beekeeping supplies which can ensure your beekeeping courses. It is no longer impossible to get the best beekeeping supplies in the soonest possible time. With the use of the internet, you can possibly find equipments at very reasonable prices. There are several sites online which can offer you great deals on such products. All you have to do is to patiently search.Now that you have learned some of the secrets of beekeeping courses, you can now work on your own beekeeping and become one of the most successful beekeepers in your neighborhood.

When you are starting or expanding a beekeeping operation, it can be hard to know where to buy honey bees, hives, and supplies for your bees.  After all, you can’t walk into your local Home Depot or Lowe’s and get beekeeping equipment.  But, you can use the internet in searching for beekeeping supplies in the soonest possible time.  Here are three tips that will help you get your supplies at a good price without getting ripped off.Starting with beekeeping business is one way to have an extra income especially during these days that a lot of industries are closing. Many people choose to have beekeeping as their profession because aside from earning a lot of money after selling the honey your bees had produced, you can also help to the environment. As you can see, bees are very important in the pollination process of many flowers. Gathering enough information is a good way to start your beekeeping business and reach the beekeeping success you always wanted. If you are already an established beekeeper, of course one of your goals is to expand your beekeeping operation.

Walking to your home warehouse to get some equipment you can use in your beekeeping business is never a good idea. But the internet can offer you a better way of getting beekeeping supplies. With the help of the internet, your work becomes easier than before. There are some ways to save lots of bucks in buying beekeeping supplies which can help you to reach your beekeeping success.o    You should have a list of the things you need to buy. Before buying beekeeping supplies for your beekeeping, you should decide on the size of your expansion. Then, list all the possible things you will need in your operation in the future. When you are shopping, make sure to stick with your list to avoid being distracted. This way, you can save both your time and money.o    Try considering eBay in your shopping. eBay is a famous selling site which is known for great deals on everything, including beekeeping supplies. Here, you have more choices of purchasing the best beekeeping supplies you are looking for at a very good price.o    Check on the labels of the products. When you are shopping, make sure to look at the picture as well as the labels of each of the item you have in your list. You should look closely on your measurement. This way, you can already take a picture of the actual look of the product you are ordering.Your hard work, determination and commitment are very important to ensure your beekeeping success. So if you want to become a successful beekeeper, make sure to become wise in getting supplies for your beekeeping.