Finding Beekeeping Supplies Indiana Way

By Larry Hamilton


Keeping bees is a great hobby. It can be lucrative and is about as patriotic and green as you can get. In one enterprise, you can learn about one of nature's most fascinating creatures, play a vital part in American agriculture, save the planet, and spend pleasant hours outdoors in a world of sunshine, flowers, and gentle music. If this sounds good, you'll want to learn about beekeeping supplies Indiana.

There is both help and information waiting at your local extension agency. This outreach of your state universities loves to help people start with bees. They will put you in touch with dedicated volunteers who've had years of hand-on experience.

First, you might want to check with your local extension agent. These offices, connected to large public universities, are valuable sources of information and also of volunteer help. The agencies and the many beekeepers in your area love to encourage newcomers to the art of raising honeybees.

Some of the things you'll need to have a home apiary include the hive (outer box) that shelters the colony, the frames that you stack on top of each other, and the feeders that provide extra nutrition during hot, dry spells or the colder months. There are various sizes of frames, from deep ones for the 'brood' (eggs and larvae) to shallow ones that hold the honeycomb. Beginner's kits are available to make getting started easier.

In addition to honeybee hives, frames, and 'supers' (frames where the bees can store extra honey - which you can harvest!), you can buy special tools. You'll need to open and inspect the hives. There are brushes to move the bees gently, gently out of the way when you need to work around them. You'll need to protect the hive from parasites that threaten the colony, and feed the bees during the winter or during hot, dry spells.

Protective clothing is important, since honeybee stings are painful and can be dangerous to people who are allergic to their venom. Even the most docile bees will get upset when their hive is disturbed. Full-body suits, hats and veils to cover the head completely, and gloves come in different sizes for adults and children.

There are other kinds of bees that don't make honey for humans. Mason bees are the native, tiny ones you may have seen hovering around a spike of mint or lavender. They don't sting enough to notice, being notoriously non-aggressive, and are very low-maintenance. You can help them thrive by giving them moisture-proof shelter in a sunny spot and surrounding their home range (100 yards in every direction) with the plants they need for food.

It is so important for home gardeners to have pollinators for their flowers, trees, and orchards that more of us should make a place for bees. Whether you live in Indiana, on the east coast, or by the Pacific Ocean, this is a way to help counter the assault of pesticides and loss of habitat on these important insects. It's also a way to introduce children to the wonderful world of nature, to produce honey for you and your neighbors, or to make sure native species thrive in today's world.




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