This information is designed for people who have started out on a new hobby or for those who are considering this as an option. However all beekeepers, no matter how experienced, will never stop learning. Hopefully there is information in the article for all.

A good approach to beekeeping can be summarised by three words which begin with “C”.

Confidence - one must always approach the task with confidence. Bees are very quick to sense fear and will quickly turn the apiarist into a target. When I started beekeeping in 1985 I had second hand protective gear which was not very effective and when one is stung several times, confidence begins to wane. My first piece of advice therefore is to be a little extravagant and to buy the best gear which will enable confidence to develop. I have seen many people give up this hobby in the very early stages because of some very unpleasant and traumatic experiences. A confident apiarist is able to work his/her bees quietly and quickly.

Care-one must take care when carrying out the above----bees must not be rolled on the frames and nor should they be squashed as this releases alarm pheromones which have an odour that incites the bees to attack the person who is doing the rolling and squashing. To avoid this scenario it is essential to ensure that the frames are well separated before trying to lift them out of the hive. I always start with the second frame from the edge nearest to where I am standing. Having removed this frame, the remainder are much easier. If you are going to lift off the top box, it is essential to break the seal of all of the top frames because the bees will have waxed them to the top bars of the frames in the second box. If this is not done, the bees will often become agitated whilst you spend an excessive amount of time trying, unsuccessfully, to prize the boxes apart.

Conservation- like any livestock management, harvesting must be carried out conservatively. Remember that bees do not produce honey for us-they produce for their own survival. They need honey and pollen to feed to the brood which maintains the hive numbers. A general guideline is that if there are four frames of brood in a hive then four frames of honey should be left in the hive. I never extract honey in late Autumn, Winter or Spring-the former because bees need honey going into Winter and the latter because early Spring is the most stressful time for bees as they re-build their numbers. This means that honey harvesting should usually be restricted to late Spring, Summer and early Autumn when colonies are at their strongest and most plants and trees are in flower. Very rarely will a backyard beekeeper, in a suburban setting, witness a honey flow where an entire super can be harvested.

Remember the number 3. When you smoke your hives, wait 3 minutes before you lift the lid. The purpose of smoking the hive is to encourage the bees to eat honey and to render them a little more docile. By waiting 3 minutes, you give them time to consume----whilst waiting, it is a good idea to stand to the side of the hive and observe your bees as they enter and leave the hive. Watch to see if they are taking in pollen---see if they are tumbling over one another getting in and out of the hive or are there just a few bees coming and going. You are essentially judging the health and strength of your hive(s). I also go around the back of the hive and lift it a few centimetres off the ground to judge the weight. You will soon learn from experience whether your hive needs extracting without even lifting the lid.

Moving hives. You should move either no more than 3 feet or greater than 3 miles. The former so that your bees can find their way back to the hive and the latter so that the bees are outside their flight range and won’t return to the original site. Wherever you go , don’t bring the bees back near the original site until 3 weeks have passed as after this time the older bees have died and the younger bees know nothing about where the hive has previously been.

Where to site you hive(s). In general, an airy, partly sunny, partly shady location on firm level ground is desirable. A northerly aspect is ideal so that the hives catch the winter sun and avoid the cold southerlies in Winter----the reverse applies in the Northern Hemisphere. I have found that to minimise the impact of the hot north westerlies in Summer, a north easterly aspect is also suitable. Remember that dampness is your worst enemy-----the bees must struggle to maintain the correct atmosphere within the hive, thus they are continually wasting energy and accumulating stress. Such a hive will be short of honey, short of temper, and sooner or later will become diseased and die out. Make sure you place a board or something similar across the hive entrance to stop the growth of weeds as this not only impedes the bees but also causes increased humidity within the hive. Over time your boxes should be rotated so that the “shady” side is not left to rot because it never “sees” the sun. It should also be noted that tilting your hive slightly forward will enable any condensation to drain out the front entrance which will assist the bees and help to prevent rot starting inside the hive.

How many hives? From experience, I suggest that two or three hives in an urban location is more than adequate. Remember that bees will fly three miles when necessary but that is not by choice—too much competition will force them to do so. More hives does not necessarily mean more honey! It is better to have strong colonies and fewer hives than many colonies each competing with one another for the same nectar and pollen sources. If you want to have more hives then you really need more than one location. When setting up your apiary ensure that there is adequate space between your hives so that you have space to work and to minimise the drifting of bees from one hive to another. Perhaps two metres apart with plenty of room behind your hives enabling you to work effectively.

Eight or ten frame boxes? My preference is the latter with nine frames---boxes which contain ten frames are too tight and lead new beekeepers to clumsily manipulate their frames agitating the bees and thereby destroying the confidence I spoke about earlier. Having said that, I have had plenty of experience in cold climates and under these conditions I favour the eight frame boxes because the tighter space enables the bees to maintain the appropriate hive temperature more easily. The ten frame boxes are heavier but the frames can always be taken out individually and carried away for extraction in swarm boxes (only four frames) or in smaller plastic containers.

Best of luck with your beekeeping!

notes supplied by Norm Webb