Backyard Beekeeping

Many beekeepers in urban and suburban areas have kept bees in their backyards. You will surprised to see bee hives on roof tops. Bees have the ability to travel several miles in order to collect pollen and nectar, therefore they do not require flowering plants nearby. As there are plenty of flowers in suburbs, bees do not find it difficult to make a very good collection of honey.

It is essential that backyard beekeeping be done in a proper manner so that it does not become a big nuisance to their neighbors. If special care is not taken, beekeeping might give rise to problems for your neighbors, especially if they have pets or kids. Bee stings will probably be your neighbors’ biggest concern, therefore when it come to backyard beekeeping, some precautions should be taken so that your neighbors feel comfortable and safe with your activities.

If you have decided to keep bees, then fencing the backyard is very important. Normally a 6 feet high fence is sufficient and can serve many purposes. Fencing forces the bees to fly above people's head. Bees prefer to travel in a straight path and a fence helps in raising their flight paths over everyone's head. Fencing can also decrease the chance of a bee accidentally colliding with someone who is walking nearby. A fence can also hides the evidence that you are managing bees in the neighborhood

Honey bees require a lot of water particularly during summer and in early spring. They can simply go anywhere to collect water. They may also drink water from your neighbor's swimming pool or your pet's drinking bowl. So, to deter them from doing such things, you should make some arrangements of water for the bees right near to their hives.

One of the easiest ways to provide water to the bees is by starting a water garden in a whiskey barrel that has a floating plant. Your bees will simply love this arrangement as they like well-aged water. Your water source should not very near to their hive; it should be minimum 20 feet away.

Swarms can also cause problems to your neighbors; hence, it is necessary to prevent swarming. A swarm is a cluster of bees that is within 100 to 150 feet of their old home. They form a cluster for searching a new home. 'Bait hives' is the best possible solution to discourage swarming. Bait hives are attractive homes that are waiting for your bees to discover. A new hive or old hive body can be effectively used to make a bait hive. The old hive should have a volume of at least 1 cubic and opening size of 2 square inches.

When you are working inside a bee hive, sometimes a bee may sting an innocent bystander ( not the beekeeper). To avert this problem, you should work when most field bees have gone out to collect nectar. Bees exhibit defensive or gentle behavior depending upon the environmental conditions. When the beehive is under direct sunlight, they are gentle and generally do not harm anyone. The best condition to work with your bees is when the day temperatures are not very high (95F or higher).

If you are not able to find a suitable place, for backyard beekeeping, you can consult local beekeepers associations, gardening clubs and vegetable gardeners, as they understand the importance of pollination.

So in order to achieve success in backyard beekeeping, you should do the following:
* Fence your backyard
* Make provision of water for the bees
* Make a bait hive for swarm control