III. CONSIDERATION FOR THE BEES
Every so often in talking to people it is possible to meet
someone who had bees but had to give them up because they
didn't have the time to properly care for them. Other times
you will meet a person that got bees and placed them on
some undeveloped property that he had and just left them
unattended. Bee keeping is much more involved than getting
bees and then letting them care for themselves. It is not
fair to the bees, or the surrounding neighbors, to merely
leave them on their own. It can't be assumed that since
they were wild it follows that they can care for
themselves. The effects of man on the landscape greatly
affect the habitat of the bees. Man has upset nature's
balance and the bee is affected by the changes.
Time must be spent to assure that the needs of the bee are
met since the beekeeper and not the bees chose the spot
where the hive is located. To survive and be productive the
bees must have the materials to make the honey as close as
possible. Flowers are the major concern since bees can
produce honey only from the nectar of flowers. The more
vegetation the better the chance of flowers. Heavy forests
are less desirable than fields and areas of shrubs since
many trees such as the pine and oak use the wind to
transfer their pollen. Maple and basswood produce flowers
in the spring but they can also shade out other plants than
might supply flowers at other times of the year. A good
variety of plants will do a lot to assure some blooms at
most times throughout the honey seasons. Fields supply an
opportunity for small flowering plants to grow many of
which bloom quite profusely. Frequent checking of the
hive's activity related to the number of bees flying in and
out of the entrance, can tell a lot about the condition of
the hive but the surest check is to actually open the hive
and check the amount of nectar being processed, honey being
made, and the size of the brood chamber.
Water is an essential item for bees since they use it to
dilute the honey to feed to the brood and in the hot
weather they bring the water back to the hive and evaporate
it to cool the hive. Good clean water, free of chemicals,
bacteria or parasites that may harm the bees, is essential
to maintaining a healthy, productive hive. Stagnant, dirty
water is an easy way to introduce disease into a hive and,
if more than one hive uses the same water, disease can be
spread quite rapidly. Running water such as obtained from a
slightly open faucet or garden hose will work well. Letting
a hose run slowly into a pan filled with rocks or floating
wood is ideal. It must be remembered that the bees will
drown if they land in the water. The rocks or wood provide
landing surfaces. Frequent checks must still be made to be
sure that the water stays free from contamination. Having
the water as close to the hives as possible is important
since they waste less time and energy in getting the water,
and are more likely to use it than another source, such as
the neighbor's yards, especially their pools, in search of
water. People stepping on bees around their pools can be a
major source of trouble.
I.
INTRODUCTION
II. GETTING
STARTED WITH BEES
III.
CONSIDERATION FOR THE BEES
IV. CONCERNS IN THE
HANDLING OF BEES
V.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOVICE BEE KEEPER TRAINING
COURSE
VI. Long Island Beekeepers
Club Good Neighbor Policy
VII. Additional
Suggested Readings for a Comprehensive Understanding of
Bees
