{"id":5363,"date":"2023-12-26T15:08:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T20:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=5363"},"modified":"2023-12-26T15:08:17","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T20:08:17","slug":"managing-beehives-a-beginners-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/managing-beehives-a-beginners-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing Beehives (A Beekeeping Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As a beginning beekeeper, you may be elated after setting up your first beehive(s). However, do not rest on your laurels; your backyard beekeeping has just begun. You need to manage your beehives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managing beehives is a year-round task; however, the level of work and time required will vary widely with seasonal changes. Learn what you can do to help your bees not just survive but thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During honey harvest, you may be extremely busy. However, in frigid winter months, you may do nothing but keep an eye on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managing beehives requires:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beekeeping, or apiculture, is a farming activity. The bees are your livestock; honey and other hive products are your agricultural output. Keeping your colonies healthy and productive is the key to being a successful beekeeper.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This guide will walk you through the essential tasks of managing beehives<\/strong> during the year and some of the challenges you may face<\/strong> as a beginning beekeeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For more details, see the articles that address managing beehives during a particular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though it was listed last above, we are going to start with a discussion of beekeeping records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a new backyard beekeeper, recording information may seem unnecessary when you have only one or two hives. However, keeping records is an easier habit to start when your apiary is small and your goals are modest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some locations, such as New York City, legal requirements may necessitate documentation about your beekeeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping records will help you learn more, properly monitor your colonies\u2019 condition, track expenses, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think you may convert your hobby into a sideline or commercial opportunity, record-keeping is required for various reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more! <\/strong>See our article Record Keeping For Beekeepers (A Guide To Why, What & How)<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>Become familiar with the types of information you can or should track and choose how to do it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Inspections are critical to managing beehives in every season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular hive inspections let you assess the condition of your beehives such as:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hive inspections are an important task in managing beehives. Beekeepers inspect hives to assess the queen and colony’s health and condition and identify issues in need of remediation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although external observation yields helpful information, opening the hive for visual examination is the best way to determine its status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hive inspections disrupt a colony\u2019s activity. Minimize the disturbance by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more!<\/strong> Read our article about how to inspect a hive<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>for detailed information about some things you can learn from mere observation, when to open a hive, and how to go about an inspection, among other things.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Having a plan for each inspection is the best way to minimize the time in the hive, barring unexpected findings that require immediate action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Beekeeping records (mentioned earlier) are a tremendous aid in your planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While each examination of a hive may have a particular purpose, every inspection allows noting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The health and productivity of the queen bee are critical to a colony’s survival. Always look for signs that your hive is queenright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more!<\/strong> See our article about how to inspect a beehive to determine if it is queenless or queenright<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Honey bees eat honey, bee bread<\/strong> and royal jelly<\/strong><\/a> created from the pollen, nectar, and water<\/strong> they collect while foraging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beekeepers often supplement a colony’s diet with sugar syrup or pollen substitutes at certain times during the year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Managing Beehives With Beekeeping Records<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Regular Beehive Inspections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Feeding Bees In Your Apiary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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