The Honeybee
Honeybees have a highly developed social structure and the more you learn about bees the more you realize how little you really know. Thousands of beekeepers across the US manage colonies in their backyards and most are small scale beekeepers with fewer than 25 colonies.
The honeybees that we
are familar with are not native to North America but were brought
to our country by colonists in early 1600. Honeybees
flourished here under the
care of man and in the wild until the mid
1980's when the appearance of a parasitic mites reeked havoc on managed
and wild (feral) colonies. New pests like the Small Hive
Beetle
as well as new viruses threaten beekeeping today. Beekeepers must be
alert for updated
management techniques. Those of us who fail to keep abreast
of
new problems will most likely not be successful in maintaining our
colonies.
For those of you interested in becoming a beekeeper, many resources are available. Many books have been written about honeybees and bee management. The internet has created a free (well almost) wealth of information for the beginner beekeeper as well as information regarding ongoing research. Public forums such as Beesource (beesource.com) and Beemaster (beemaster.com) allow contact between beekeepers worldwide.
With
proper managment, Honeybees can be alot of fun. Be aware that
being a beekeeper is a lot of hard work if you are trying to produce
alot of honey and much of the work is done during the hottest time of
year. Read, learn and ask alot of questions before getting
your
first hives. The internet is a great resource but dont
believe
everything you read online. Practices that work in some parts
of
the country may not apply to your area. You
may even find a mentor to help you learn all you need to know
to
get
started and you will have alot of fun too !
Hurry to your nearest book store or library to check out my
favorite beekeeping books !