A beekeeper cares for and maintains bee colonies to harvest honey. They prepare the bees for the honey-producing season, remove honey-filled supers, and process the honey. The beekeeper must also prepare the bees for winter and ensure their hives can withstand the cold weather.
A beekeeper manages bee colonies to harvest honey. His work includes caring for the bees and maintaining and monitoring their hives to promote optimal honey production. When the honey is ready to be harvested, the keeper removes it from the hives and processes it for consumption. When honey production has ceased, he prepares his hives for the winter.
Each spring, the beekeeper must prepare his bees for the coming honey-producing months. Whether he is introducing newly purchased bee packs into empty hives or working with pre-existing colonies, he must ensure that the insects are free of parasites and that the queen is able to produce eggs. During this period, he often medicates his bees to prevent illness. He may also have to feed the bees sugar and water until they can start collecting pollen and nectar and produce their own food.
After the summer, the beekeeper must maintain the hives and remove the honey as it is ready. Bees must have enough space in their hives to function healthily. Therefore, as honey production accelerates, the keeper may need to add additional dinners – boxes that contain combs in which bees can deposit their honey – to their hives.
The beekeeper starts his honey harvest by pulling full dinners from his hives. As this involves close contact with bees, the keeper often relies on various protective devices to prevent stings. He usually wears a veil, as well as a protective suit and gloves to protect his head and body. Additionally, he can utilize a smoker, a device that releases light puffs of smoke that work to calm agitated bees.
After removing the honey-filled supers and removing the bees from the surfaces, the keeper removes the wax coatings from the super combs and extracts the honey inside. This can be done manually or with the help of a mechanical extractor. Then the honey must be purified. Generally, the beekeeper performs an initial strain and then lets the honey rest, allowing impurities to rise to the surface and then sliding them away. Finally, the honey is crushed and, in some cases, sold.
When the honey harvest is over, the beekeeper must decide whether he wants to keep his colonies through the winter months. Otherwise, he may choose to exterminate his bees. A keeper preserving his bees must take steps to prepare them for the coming cold weather. He often medicates the bees and checks that the queen is still healthy. Furthermore, he must equip his hives with enough food to sustain them during the unproductive months.
Finally, the beekeeper must ensure that his hives can withstand the oncoming cold weather. He can simply move them to an internal space. In other cases, he might insulate and wrap each hive to keep the bees warm until spring.
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