Golden Goodness Inside the Beekeeping Hive

The beekeeping hive is the repository of that sweet, golden stuff that only bees can provide: honey!

Of course it’s also the home of bees and not just a big honey jar although we can be forgiven for thinking so. After all, the world has loved this healthy sweetener long before sugar came into being.

There are two types of hives according to how honey is extracted from it.

The traditional hives are skeps and clay hives. Skeps are baskets which have only one entry and exit point; this is what we usually see in cartoons. Clay hives originated from the Mediterranean and Egypt.

Unfortunately, both types of hives require wrecking the hive in order to get to the honey. When this happens, the bees are then displaced and sometimes the queen gets killed, too. The modern beekeeping hive does not employ this method of honey extraction anymore since the newer types make the hive accessible through removable panels.

Using this type of hive not only keeps the bees safe, but also allows the beekeeper to inspect the hive regularly for possible infection.

It’s important for the bees and the beekeeping process to put the hives where it’s sunny and near flowers or gardens. This will help the bees so that they will not need to go far to find nectar. It would also be beneficial if the hives were near water as well.

You need to do some research about this especially if you live in a populated community where other people may complain about the presence of a multitude of bees.

There are other kinds of hives that can either produce more honey or more beeswax for the beekeeper.

Whatever type of hive that you choose, it should not only be a good home for the bees but also a good way for the beekeeper to help out the environment. In man’s search for wild honey, a lot of beehives were destroyed because there were always more hives to be found. Unfortunately, destroying the hives also meant the death of the bees who made it and several species of bees are gone because of this.

Hopefully, future apiarists will be more responsible and help in keeping the bees and our vegetation alive.