Hot Tub Patio Beekeeping: A Buzzworthy Summer Activity
Discover the joy of beekeeping with HOTTUBPATIO! Learn about honeybees, build your hive, and start harvesting your honey. Get started today!
Hot tub patio is an increasingly popular activity that enables individuals to enjoy the benefits of delightful honey and pollination from hives in their backyards. Whether you are a beginner or already a seasoned expert, a hot tub patio can provide a rewarding experience for both hobbyists and commercial apiarists alike.
Benefits of Bee keeping
- Honey production – Beekeeping allows you to harvest honey, wax, propolis, and other bee products from your hives to use or sell. Honey is a versatile, natural sweetener.
- Pollination – Bees are prolific pollinators. By keeping bees, you can increase the pollination of crops and plants in your local environment, which can boost yields and productivity. This helps support the wider agricultural ecosystem.
- Educational value – Bee keeping teaches you a lot about the biology and behavior of an amazing insect species. It provides a way to learn about nature, science, conservation, and agriculture. Bee keeping can be a fun educational hobby.
- Income opportunity – Bee keeping can provide supplementary income from the sale of honey, beeswax, and other hive products. Some even turn it into a full-time business. The products command premium prices as natural, local goods.
- Environmental benefits – Bees play a vital role in preserving biodiversity, soil health, and ecosystem balance. Keeping bees can aid conservation efforts by boosting pollinator numbers. It helps sustain a threatened but essential species.
- Low barriers to entry – Starting beekeeping does not require major capital investments or land ownership. The basic equipment for a few hives is affordable for many people. With a bit of learning, it’s accessible.
- Rewarding activity – Tend to a hive and the busy, fascinating bees within provide many keepers with a great sense of satisfaction and calm. It serves as a relaxing but engaging hobby.
Step 1: Necessary Supplies
- Hive boxes – These wooden boxes contain the honeycomb frames where the bees live and store honey. You’ll need brood boxes (for the queen’s chambers) and honey supers (to collect excess honey).
- Frames and foundation – The removable frames hold wax foundations that guide the bees in building straight honeycomb. You’ll need multiple frames per hive box.
- Bottom board – This is a wooden panel that serves as the floor of the hive. It provides an entrance for the bees.
- Inner cover – This sits atop the hive boxes and helps insulate them.
- Outer cover – This weatherproof lid goes over the inner cover to protect the hive from rain.
- Smoker – This is used to generate smoke which helps calm bees during hive inspections.
- Hive tool – This metal tool helps pry apart hive components.
- Protective gear – At a minimum, you’ll need a beekeeper’s veil and gloves to prevent stings during hive work.
- Bee brush – To gently remove bees from frames and boxes.
- Feeder – Used to supplement bee nutrition when natural nectar is limited.
- Queen excluder – Prevents the queen from entering honey supers to keep the brood out of surplus honey.
- Propolis collection trap – Collects “bee glue” which has medicinal uses.
You’ll also need basic equipment like a hive stand to elevate the hive and straps or ratchet straps to securely stack and transport hive components. It’s helpful to have a journal, etc.
Start with quality woodenware and protective clothing from a reputable beekeeping supplier to get set up properly.
Step 2: Selecting a Location
Select a site based on these criteria to help your bees thrive! Proper placement sets up your hives for success.
- Sun exposure – Bees thrive in a location with maximum sun exposure, especially morning sun. Avoid shaded areas.
- Wind protection – Find an area with natural windbreaks like trees, shrubs, or structures. This protects hives from harsh winds that can deter bee foraging.
- Water source – Bees need a reliable, close water source like a stream, pond, or bird bath. This allows them to cool the hive, dilute honey, and feed the brood.
- Drainage – Choose a site with good drainage to prevent waterlogging hives after rains. Slight slopes or elevations work well.
- Accessibility – The area should allow convenient access for you to work the hives. Avoid obstructed or inconvenient locations.
- Hive orientation – Face hives south or southeast to get early sun exposure.
- Space – Allow adequate space between hives and ensure sufficient room to move around each one.
- Neighbor considerations – Keep hives at least 20-40 feet from property lines and situate them so bee flight paths don’t direct bees towards neighboring homes or pools.
- Ordinances – Check local laws and regulations related to beekeeping. Many dictate required hive distances from streets or dwellings.
- Resources – Pick an area with ample bee forage like meadows, orchards, or wildflower patches so bees can access diverse nutrition.
Step 3: Prepare Hives and Frames
Take these key steps to have your hives and frames ready to receive bees for a healthy, productive colony!
- Assemble hive boxes – Put together brood boxes, honey supers, bottom boards, and inner and outer covers. Make sure all components fit neatly and securely.
- Paint hives – Paint the outside of hives with exterior latex or oil-based paint. This protects the woodenware from weathering. White is a common color to reflects sunlight and keeps internal hive temperatures moderated.
- Install frames – Place wax foundations into wooden frames and wire them in place. Embed the foundations vertically, keeping them flush with the top bar.
- Coat foundations – To encourage quicker comb drawing, coat wax foundations lightly with beeswax. A plastic foundation roller works well for evenly coating the foundation sheets.
- Arrange frames – Space frames about 1 1/4″ apart in the hive body. Make sure they are gently pressed together, aligned neatly, and resting securely in slots.
- Add queen excluder – Place a queen excluder between brood boxes and your honey super to keep the queen restricted to the lower boxes.
- Feeder set up – Install an entrance feeder, frame feeder, or internal feeder and fill it with sugar syrup to feed your new bee package.
- Entrance reducer – Use an entrance reducer to limit the size of the hive entrance for small, new colonies. This helps them protect the hive.
- Cleanliness – Scrub and sanitize all equipment before installation. Bees prefer a clean, sterile environment.
Step 4: Installing Bees
- Pick-up bee package – Arrange to pick up your caged bee package on the scheduled delivery date. Keep them cool and dark until installation.
- Hive prep – Ensure the hive is fully assembled with frames installed. Place a feeder filled with sugar syrup inside and reduce the entrance.
- Suit up – Before opening the package, light your smoker and put on your beekeeper suit for protection.
- Remove queen cage – Open the package and gently remove the small queen cage, keeping it closed so she stays inside.
- Spray bees – Lightly spray the bee package with sugar syrup to wet their wings and keep them from flying when you pour them out.
- Shake bees – Hold the package above the open hive and shake the bees out onto the frames. They will quickly walk down and cling to the comb.
- Place queen cage – Wedge the queen cage securely between frames in the lower brood box. Use a thumb tack to hold it in place.
- Close up – Once bees are settled in the hive, remove the feed can from the package and replace any frames that were removed.
- Fill feeder – Make sure your hive feeder is full of sugar syrup. The bees will need this food source.
- Replace components – Put the inner cover and outer lid back on the hive, with the entrance reducer in place.
- Release queen – Return in 4-5 days to remove the cork on the queen cage and release her into the hive.
- Monitor hive – Check weekly to ensure the queen is released, laying eggs, and the colony is building up strongly.
Step 5: Maintenance and Care
- Regular inspections – Perform hive inspections every 7-10 days during the active season to check on the queen, brood pattern, food stores, and signs of diseases or pests.
- Feeding – Provide supplemental sugar syrup if natural food sources are scarce to prevent starvation. Feed pollen patties or substitutes to stimulate brood rearing in spring.
- Pest control – Monitor for common pests like varroa mites and small hive beetles. Apply integrated pest management strategies when thresholds are exceeded.
- Sanitation – Keep areas around the hive clean. Remove any old combs, frames, or unused equipment that could harbor diseases.
- Hive ventilation – Ensure adequate air circulation through the hive by clearing entrances and placing hives up on stands.
- Space management – Add or remove frames and boxes as needed to give the colony room to expand or contract.
- Requeen – Replace old or failing queens every 1-2 years with a new, mated queen to boost productivity.
- Swarm prevention – Employ techniques like splitting strong hives before swarming season to prevent the loss of bees.
- Winter protection – Insulate hives, provide wind barriers, and ensure adequate honey stores going into winter.
- Keep records – Maintain detailed notes on each hive’s strengths, pest issues, requeening dates, honey yields, etc.
Accessories and Tools for Beekeepers:
| Accessory/Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Beekeeping veil | Protects head and neck from stings with hat and veils |
| Beekeeping suit | Covers body to prevent stings |
| Beekeeping gloves | Protect hands and arms from stings |
| Hive tool | Prying apart hive components |
| Smoker | Generates smoke to calm bees |
| Bee brush | Removes bees from combs |
| Frame grip | Lifts frames out of hive |
| Uncapping knife | Slices wax caps off honeycomb |
| Capping scratcher | Opens capped honeycomb cells |
| Honey extractor | Spins frames to extract honey |
| Bottling tank | Holds extracted honey for bottling |
| Refractometer | Measures honey’s water content |
| Hive staples/nails | Secures hive components together |
| Entrance feeder | Provides sugar syrup to bees |
Investing in quality accessories makes inspecting and handling hives easier and more convenient for the beekeeper. For more read about What Is a Beekeeper?
Conclusion:
Hot tub patio beekeeping can be a great summer activity for those interested in bees and gardening. Not only does it deliver an opportunity to learn more about these fascinating insects, but it also offers a chance to enjoy the outdoors while taking care of your garden.
It is essential to remember that beekeeping requires proper education and safety measures, so research and follow guidelines before starting.
FAQs: (Hot Tub Patio Beekeeping)
Q. What should I consider before starting a beekeeping project on my hot tub patio?
When planning to start a beekeeping project, several factors must be considered. Firstly, you need ample space for the bees and their hives. Your hot tub patio should be large enough to accommodate the hives and have enough room for you to work comfortably around them.
Q. Do I need special equipment or tools for beekeeping on my hot tub patio?
Yes, you will need some essential equipment, including protective gear like gloves, hats, ventilated bee suits, and a smoker and hive tool. Depending on the size of your project, you may also require additional tools, such as honey extractors and feeders.
Q: How do I become a beekeeper? A: To become a beekeeper, learn about bees and their behavior, get the necessary equipment, and start with a small colony. For more reading about why do beekeepers wear white bee suits?
Q: How much do beekeepers make? A: A beekeeper’s income varies depending on the location and the number of colonies, but it can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars a year.
Q: What is a beekeeper called? A: A beekeeper raises and cares for bees to produce honey and other bee products. They are also called an apiarist or a honey farmer.
Q: How do beekeepers not get stung? A: Beekeepers avoid getting stung by wearing protective clothing, working carefully, and using smoke to calm the bees.
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