Bee Nest Removal Isnt Always Easy

February 10th, 2012

Bee nest removal is the most important task and not always an easy one. It has to be done with a lot of care.  There are more than twenty thousand species of bees. Bees build their nests in the ground, on the ground, or in cavities depending on the species.  

bee nest removal

It is important to identify the kind of bee before heading to bee nest removal. We can adopt suitable bee nest removal techniques depending on the kind of bees. It also helps us determine whether we need to consult a professional or if we can do it ourselves.

Never attempt to remove a honey bee nest filled with honey bees. It will be an act you will repent for a lifetime. It is always good to seek the services of a professional bee nest. Removing honey bee nests is a very time consuming and tedious task. As a result, not many professionals are interested in providing these services.  

Ground bees nest in the ground as the name suggests, lawns and gardens in particular. Nests built by ground bees are easiest to remove. Ground bees tend to live in their nest for a very short period so they can be left untouched. However, if you still want to remove them, you can simply pour water over the nest.  They are not aggressive and would look out for another location to nest. While ground bees don’t sting much, they might attack for self-defense especially around their nests. Hence, we need to be careful during the process of ground bee nest removal. A professional can also help you by giving a chemical treatment to the gardens and lawns

Some species of bees also nest in walls. Removing nests from inside the walls is a very challenging task and needs to be done by a skilled professional. Professionals are capable analyzing the situation and making a better judgment. Charges of a skilled professional vary depending on the type and size of the bee nest.

Ensure to close all the doors and windows, and any holes in the house when attempting bee nest removal so they don’t enter into the house. Always keep a first aid kit ready. Cover your body completely in cloth to avoid being stung. Also, don’t wear any yellow clothing because bees get attracted to this color.

We cannot predict if we develop an allergy to bee stings unless we get stung once. Hence it is important to take necessary precautions before heading for bee nest removal.

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Natural Control Of Ground Bees

January 26th, 2012

Ground bees are classified in a large group, and many bees and wasps are mistakenly added to this group. Real ground bees are the solitary digger bees, that live in their own tunnels, where a female lives on her own, caring for her young. Bumble bees, wasps and other bee species are often mistaken for digger bees, but there are some huge differences. Firstly the digger bee lives on her own, in a nest, but bumble bees live in colonies, with many bees using one tunnel. Bumble bees and wasps, such as the digger wasps can be very aggressive, attacking at the slightest provocation.

ground bees

Although ground bees live in their own tunnels, they can live in close proximity to other ground bees. This can become a problem, if a whole lawn is taken over by the bees. Although they do not cause any damage to the lawn, it is an indication that the lawn and soil are not in good condition. Ground bees are seldom aggressive, and should not pose a threat to the home owners, unless someone in the family is allergic to bee stings. Because ground bees are only active for six weeks of the year, the nuisance of having them in your lawn will be minimal for most people, and easily overlooked. However, there will be times when the ground bees need to be controlled, either to keep the populations in check, or to eradicate them completely. It is always best to first try all natural remedies, before resorting to pesticides, in order to minimize damage to the environment, and other wildlife.

• When we understand the needs of ground bees, we see the first step is as easy as keeping the lawn lush and watered, as the bees prefer dry soil, and scarcely planted lawns. By watering the lawn with at least an inch (2,5cm) of water, the bees will be forced to find new homes.

• By applying fertilizer to the lawn, we will also strengthen the lawn and its root system, and thereby make it less hospitable to the bees.

• Spray a soapy solution of dishwashing detergent and water into each hole in the early morning or evening.

• Pour boiling water into each hole, also in the early morning or evening.

• Use a pesticide dusting powder in the early evening or morning, only as a last resort.

When the infestation is large, or you are unsure of whether the insects are ground bees or wasps, call in a pest control expert, in order to control the bees in an effective yet environmentally friendly manner.

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Choosing Beehive Plans

January 11th, 2012

To start your beekeeping venture, you will first need to decide on your beehive plans. These can be custom made beehives, DIY beehives, or ready made beehives purchased from a reputable beekeeping supply shop.

beehive plans

When starting to plan your beehives, you will need to take into account the needs of the bees, the safety of the bees, the general ease of maintenance, and the ease with which the honey can be harvested.

It is important to glean as much information from books, experts and other bee farmers as possible, before making your selection. These people will be able to tell you of the draw backs and positive aspects of each different design, as compared to your location and the amount of bees you wish to keep. Another factor would be the environment. For instance if you are planning to set up your beehives in bear and other wildlife country, they need to be strong enough to protect the bees, the honey and therefore your investment from these predators.

The hive will have minimum requirements, depending on how many bees you intend on keeping. To begin with, you will need a beehive exterior, which opens easily, and the roof can be removed. The beehive should be made of materials that can withstand the weather conditions in your area, but not be poisonous to the bees. If you will be constructing the beehive yourself, it is important to remember that some types of wood treatments, sealants and protectors can be poisonous to bees.

Once you have the exterior, you will need to look at the roof, floor and inside components.

• The rood should be heavy enough to remain on the beehive firmly, but easy enough to remove for maintenance. Telescoping cover and inner cover are needed for the roof and ceiling. The floor should be a screen, to allow droppings, dead bees and other hive waste to drop out easily.

• The front opening will also need a size reducer. Bees need a small enough opening which they can defend themselves against small mammals and insect attacks.

• The walls need to be fitted with supers and frames, and each frame needs to be fitted with a sheet of foundation wax. This saves the bees a lot of time and energy in creating their own honey cells, and so they are able to produce more honey.

Bees also need a source of food, especially when the colony is still establishing itself in a new area, or when natural resources are few, as in during the winter and during drought. Place a bee feeder in the close proximity of the bee hive, and keep the feeder full of sugar water.

The beekeeper also needs the right equipment in order to safely work with the bees, maintain the hives and to remove the honey. Full protective clothing, including a facial helmet or mesh and sturdy leather gloves are very important, as is a smoker, which helps to make the bees less aggressive when there is work needing to be done in the hive.

If you keep these guidelines in mind, and consult with experts, you will be able to choose from the many beehive plans, in a way that will best suit the needs and circumstances of your farm.

 

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Starting A Bee Hive With Package Bees

December 27th, 2011

There are many ways of starting a new bee colony, and one of the most economical ways is to purchase package bees. This method does carry the inherent risk that the bees will not accept the queen, and that there could be losses in the number of bees either in transit or after placing them in the hive.

package bees

Package bees are sold in 2 – 3 lb. (900gm – 1.3 kg) boxes, with workers and drones in the main box, and a special cage for the queen. The queen is stored in a box that has a side made of sugared side, or a plastic side with a hole in it that is filled with candy.

Once the package has arrived, the queen is removed from her can, but not from her candy cage. This gives the bees time to get accustomed to her while they are working at releasing her from the candy cage. The queen needs to be placed in the hive, and then the bees need to be added. It is helpful to first remove about 5 of the frames, and only replace them after a few days, when the bees have become accustomed to their new surroundings and their queen.

It is also important to feed the bees during transit and until they are installed in their hive. The queen has a supply of candy which will keep her going for a few days. The other bees can be fed by brushing a solution of sugar and water over the mesh side. Bees die of heat stress very easily, and therefore it is very important to keep the bees in a well ventilated and cool place during transit and before depositing them into their new hive.

It is also important to keep the bees well fed in the transition period, as they are getting used to their new surroundings. The bees must learn to know their surroundings, and to feel safe and well fed, to remove any danger of them swarming and finding a new colony. While they are getting their colony life organized, it is also helpful to minimize risks of attack from outside the hive. The opening to the hive should have a reducer, and the hive should not be placed in the close vicinity of other hives until the colony is established.

By following the instinctive patterns of bees when they are colonizing a new territory, we can ensure that package bees are successfully installed in a new hive.

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Confident Bee Suits Give Way To Increased Efficiency Of Bee Keepers

November 25th, 2011

Bee suits are basically an official dress of the beekeepers at work. They act as protective shields and also are comfortable clothing for their work. This clothing is of very importance to them as these kind of clothes prevent the venom of the bee stings and the reactions of the chemicals released when a honey bee stings. Those beekeepers, who are rarely involved in the bee works, mostly prefer wearing homemade bee suits. Homemade bee suits are limited with just a jacket, a pair of gloves and a hat with a veil covering the face. They are an easy to wear but are not much worthy in terms of time service.

bee suits

In consideration of the material of the bee suits, they are a part of neglect during summers. These bee suits completely exhaust you during the warm weathers. Though lighter materialized bee suits for summers are available on markets today, but they are quite expensive. It is up to you that if you can dig hard in your pockets to afford these seasonal bee siuts. Leaving the material apart, one needs to be careful and wise while purchasing a bee suit. Like, when you purchase a bee suit you should check the comfort level it gives you while wearing and removing it. Moreover checking the kind of bee suit is also important. Make sure the fabric you choose should not touch your skin as such fabrics give ways to bee stings through them. Bee suits get dirty and sticky while working, so surely the material you choose should be easily washable. Also check the zippers; more preferably opt for nylon zippers to metal zippers, as metals are a little difficult to operate on.

However kind of a bee suit you choose, at the end of the day you must be completely satisfied that the bee suit you have chosen does not give way to bee stings. Bee suits turn down the ways bees are handled by the beekeepers. They create a sense of fear among the bees. So, the better comfort the bee suite gives, the more confident the beekeepers are, providing efficient results…

 

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Stages In The Lifecycle Of A Bee

November 15th, 2011

The lifecycle of a bee goes through four basic stages. There are: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Bees live in a unique way. The first stage of the life cycle begins with egg. The queen bee lays an egg in one of the cell constructed by the bees for laying eggs. Once the queen bee lays the eggs it moves on to lay another. On an average, a queen bee can lay 1900 eggs per day during the spring time. The egg is attached to the cell with a mucus strand.

life cycle of a bee

When the egg hatches, the larva emerges from it. Worker bees are in charge of caring for the young larvae. They feed and take care of the egg bees. It feeds them bee bread which is mixture of honey and gland secretions. The larvae will go through five distinct growth stages. After each of these stages the larvae will shed its outer skin. Once the larva is six days old, it is then capped by a worker bee, cocooning the larvae in its cell for further growth. The larvae will then reside for less than 10 days. When it emerges from the cocoon it is a fully formed young bee.

An average queen bee can live up to two years. A good and strong queen bee can lay as many as 2000 eggs a day. A queen bee is in charge of killing her sisters and mothers for survival. The worker bees take care of the queen bee. They feed her and remove her waste. It doesn’t have to worry about anything apart from laying eggs. A queen bee that has not mated is called a virgin queen. Drone bees are male bees. There purpose is to impregnate queen bees during the queen nuptial flight.

Once the drone bee mates with the queen bee it dies. The worker bees are able to live up to a 100 and 40 days old in winter time. Whereas they are not lucky in summer time as they can live up to only 40 days. The life span is shorter in summer because the worker bees are literally worked to death, as the workers bees’ job is wide and varied. Worker bees are also called as nurse bees as they are in charge of caring the young larvae. While the rest of the workers are sent out to gather pollen for making honey, the worker bee also caps off the combs and take care of the queen. This is how the lifecycle of a bee works.

 

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