As a hobby or profession, there's nothing more satisfying and rewarding than honey bees beekeeping. And the rewards of collecting and eating your own honey can be immensely satisfying.
There's an expression that goes "make hay while the sun is shining", in fact it's never more true than for the humble honeybee. They work tirelessly, gathering nectar for the benefit of the whole colony so that they can make honey, and about 30 days later, their life, ends. Bees store honey as a food to be used by the colony when flowers are scarce such as in wintertime.
However, in good productive times where bees are making more honey than is needed for themselves and the colony, the beekeeper will collect the honey for themselves, or sell the excess that is collected. Therefore beekeeping knowledge is crucial so that the colony has enough for themselves and the beekeeper. With honey bees beekeeping there are two types of honey that a beekeeper can sell to make a profit. Liquid honey, made from extracting honey from honey combs using a machine called a centrifuge. This type of honey is commonly sold in stores all around the country.
Beekeepers can also sell comb pieces, comb pieces are pieces of honey still in their original wax combs. Honey still in a comb, is honey still in its original comb made of wax, that were made by the bees. While this honey is not normally used with making coffee or tea or used in cooking. It is eaten and enjoyed straight from the comb itself. It's likely that you've seen the different kinds of honey that comes in liquid and solid form and in various flavors and colors.
There are distinct differences between every type of flower. They each have different scents, colors and flavors, which means the nectar in one flower smells and even taste differently to that of another flower. Soil type is another element in determining how the honey will taste and look, yes that's right looks. As an example, honey made from the nectar of alfalfa which grows in drier alkali soil, can vary in color from white to clear.
On the other hand, honey that is made from buckwheat nectar which grows in more acidic soils, tends to be very dark. Additionally, the quality of the honey comb made by the bees is another factor in the color and taste of honey. As mentioned before the color differences of honey may vary, from green hues, to gold color, right through to red.
Other factors to do with beekeeping is that there are government rules and regulations that must be adhered to while processing food products for sale, and beekeepers must be fully aware of these regulations if he is to produce a saleable product. After all beekeeping can be a profitable business, and as such it is in the best interests of the beekeeper to be informed of local, state and federal laws to do with beekeeping in his or her area.
There's an expression that goes "make hay while the sun is shining", in fact it's never more true than for the humble honeybee. They work tirelessly, gathering nectar for the benefit of the whole colony so that they can make honey, and about 30 days later, their life, ends. Bees store honey as a food to be used by the colony when flowers are scarce such as in wintertime.
However, in good productive times where bees are making more honey than is needed for themselves and the colony, the beekeeper will collect the honey for themselves, or sell the excess that is collected. Therefore beekeeping knowledge is crucial so that the colony has enough for themselves and the beekeeper. With honey bees beekeeping there are two types of honey that a beekeeper can sell to make a profit. Liquid honey, made from extracting honey from honey combs using a machine called a centrifuge. This type of honey is commonly sold in stores all around the country.
Beekeepers can also sell comb pieces, comb pieces are pieces of honey still in their original wax combs. Honey still in a comb, is honey still in its original comb made of wax, that were made by the bees. While this honey is not normally used with making coffee or tea or used in cooking. It is eaten and enjoyed straight from the comb itself. It's likely that you've seen the different kinds of honey that comes in liquid and solid form and in various flavors and colors.
There are distinct differences between every type of flower. They each have different scents, colors and flavors, which means the nectar in one flower smells and even taste differently to that of another flower. Soil type is another element in determining how the honey will taste and look, yes that's right looks. As an example, honey made from the nectar of alfalfa which grows in drier alkali soil, can vary in color from white to clear.
On the other hand, honey that is made from buckwheat nectar which grows in more acidic soils, tends to be very dark. Additionally, the quality of the honey comb made by the bees is another factor in the color and taste of honey. As mentioned before the color differences of honey may vary, from green hues, to gold color, right through to red.
Other factors to do with beekeeping is that there are government rules and regulations that must be adhered to while processing food products for sale, and beekeepers must be fully aware of these regulations if he is to produce a saleable product. After all beekeeping can be a profitable business, and as such it is in the best interests of the beekeeper to be informed of local, state and federal laws to do with beekeeping in his or her area.