Beekeeping is both a delicate and intriguing activity. Do you ever wonder who is behind the harvesting of your favorite brand of honey? Some professionals work tirelessly to ensure that both you and the insects can live separately but harmoniously. Bees can become aggressive when they sense any danger. However, in a location where the situation is safe, they will go about their activities and make that valuable product. The people behind all this success are called beekeepers. So what exactly is a bee keepers job?
A beekeeper is somewhat similar to a manager. They manage all the activities relating to bees and where they stay. The job is quite tedious and requires passion and skill for you to succeed. The first and most important task of these professionals is maintaining the hives. Bees live in this location; it is like a palace to them. In these sites, the bees work day and night to produce honey. The beekeeper checks regularly to ensure the place is clean and habitable for the insects. A little contamination can interfere with the quality of the product and also pose safety risks for bees. They know when the honey is ready for harvesting; hence remove and process it.
If a beekeeper wants to get good honey, they must ensure the bees are safe. Their other role involves checking on the health of the bees and maintaining a safe environment for them. Bees thrive in colonies. These are like families comprising of a queen and other relatives. Secure interaction between the members of the territory is the only chance for the production of honey. Any sign of disease on any of the members means it will spread to the others hence immediate removal. The queen bee controls everything in the groups hence the need for regular checkups.
Bees operate based on the season. There is a time for maintenance and one for production. Spring is one of the low seasons. During this period, a beekeeper has lots of activities to do while preparing for the high season. The expert prepares the bees by providing a platform for interaction with bees from other colonies. These could be either new bees or existing ones. During this time, administering medication is also vital to prevent diseases that might weaken them during production time. The medicine fights against parasites that mostly affect the queen. A sick queen cannot produce eggs, and the long-term effect is death. The loss of a queen bee is one massive impact on a beekeeper’s profession.
Through interacting with these insects, a beekeeper will establish the production trend. They will know the appropriate time to remove honey, particularly in summer. Also, they will help the bees to produce optimally by adding more boxes with combs. Bees can only work if the place seems appealing. Through exposure, a beekeeper will tell if the bees are under stress or have the time of their lives.
Bees are friendly and also dangerous animals. A bee keepers job is risky, and they must always have their protective gear on before getting in contact. These include gloves, a suit, and a veil.