Assemble your own beehive using materials from a Langstroth-style starter kitand watch them do their busy work.
The first challenge isdeciding where to put your hivethen it’s crucial that you assemble it.
It’s best to start with new equipment to avoid any hidden problems.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
It lets youharvest honeywith minimal bee disturbance.
As the colony grows, beekeepers “super up” by adding supers.
The inner cover provides ventilation; the outer one is the roof.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
When you’re buying bees, you’re not just getting a dozen.
Here’s how to set up your hive to give your bees everything they need.
Spraying the bees with sugar water was important to calm and prepare them for their transition into the hive.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Put them in slowly to avoid hurting any of the bees.
Place the last of the frames into the box.
Frames and foundation need to be replaced every three to five years to prevent disease.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
The cage is hung between two frames in the middle of the wooden box.
Step 4: Feed the Bees
The inner cover is set on top of the brood box.
Feeding the bees with a 2:1 sugar-water solution is essential while they set up house.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Tiny holes in the jar lid give the bees access to the liquid.
Continue to feed them until they stop using the sugar-water solution and depend on the neighborhood’sspring nectar flowinstead.
Step 5: Finish Assembly
A second deep box shelters the feeder.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Return then to ensure the queen has been released.
