Have you ever wondered about starting a bee colony?

But you don't know how to get started?

Well, in this episode of Yea Round Gardening, I'll give you some basic pointer on starting your own bee hive.

I'll also point you to some great courses in resource to dive deeper into beekeeping.

Let's take a look.

Beekeeping is a fantastic hobby that's beneficial in so many ways.

Not only can you produce your own, honey is very beneficial for the environment, as bees are one of the top pollinator for plants, fruits and vegetables.

You could be helping us all stem the tide of the disappearance of bees.

The bee population has been declining since the 1990s.

Scientists have been observin what is known as colony collapse disorder, or CCD, in many hives throughout the country.

Colony collapse disorder happens when worker bees in a hive disappear, in some cases seemingly overnight leaving only the queen behind.

As a result, the entire hive dies.

A couple of culprits have been documented.

A parasite known as the Varroa mite, has been shown to be a leading cause of CCD.

This mite reproduces, lays eggs in brood cells, then feeds on the larva for energy, killing them in the process.

Another major culprit is the widespread use of pesticides.

Chemicals used in these pesticides end up not only killing the bees, but the ecosystem.

Bees need to survive.

Lastly, urban sprawl has also played a role as bees need water, pollen, and a habitat to live.

Urba sprawl makes it more difficult for bees to find these necessity.

If you think you need a lot of money and other resources to start beekeeping.

That's not necessarily the case though.

Home beekeeping isn't cheap.

It's also not terribly expensive.

Bees and the tools you need will run you about $400.

The bee colonies themselves will cost roughly $150, and you can get a starter kit for about $250.

A starter kit will have a hive, leather gloves, smoker, bee veil, hive tool, and instructions.

You also don't nee a lot of land to start a hive.

A hive generally needs to be surrounded by ten feet of open space.

An average siz yard usually has enough space.

Beekeeping doesn't take as much time as you think it might.

Generally, you'll spend only about 30 minutes of time per week in the sprin and summer checking on the hive.

The Queen and honeycomb making process.

And don't be afraid of swarms.

It's understandable to b alarmed at the sight of a swarm.

But these are a natural occurrence where the bees are not looking to attack.

Swarms happe when a hive runs out of space, and some members of the colony go looking for another hive.

You can consult educators at your local county extension office.

If you ever see a swarm on a tree building or other area.

As mentioned earlier, a beekeeping starter kit will come with the necessary tools for beekeeping.

You can also buy them individually.

Here are some essential tools.

You should have a veil and gloves.

This is your standard protective gear.

You'll often see beekeepers wearing.

Though honey bees aren't particularly aggressive or looking to attack.

Accidental bees things can happen.

Wearing this protective gear will minimize stings.

A smoker smoke keeps bees calm.

A smoker needs only newspaper, pine needles or other easy to burn material to creat the smoke to send into the hive.

Hive tool A hive tool is a mini crowbar like tool that you use to lift frame out of the high for inspection, and to scrape off any excess wax.

A hive a hive usually comes in the form of a box with ready made materia Actual bees.

There are a number of places you can order bee packages, including locally.

They are usually 3 pound and contain about 10,000 bees.

Plus, the queen.

The best time to start your hive is in springtime, so you'll want to orde your equipment, tools and bees in the fall and early winter to arrive in time for spring, fall and winter is also a great time to take classes on beekeeping to ge you ready for spring beekeeping.

At Penn State Extension, we have a great course called beekeeping 101 that will teach you what you need to know for successful beekeeping.

Extension also has a number of articles and seminars.

You can take a look at.