In order to efficiently collect honey from his beehives, a beekeeper demands the proper design. One great 1800's invention in beekeeping made raising bees what it is today.

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Our ancestors collected honey from wild hives they bumbled upon. The hive was usually completely destroyed and made useless. The bee hive would've no option but to build again in some other spot.

Bee Colonies Contain Thousands of Individual Bees.

This rough handling of the bee hive and honeycomb also resulted in the honey being full of impurities. But, there was no reason to concern themselves since they did not need to store the honey for long periods. They used up what they gleaned and they simply devastated another hive and got more.

Early endeavors at gathering the honey from domestic hives were not much better. Fixed frame hives were usually used, this meant that the entire hive was demolished to havest the honey.

After the honeycomb was yanked from the beehive, it was crushed and the honey removed. This razed the eggs and larva of the bees and left the keeper with contaminated honey. Purification of the honey was only maginally effectual and did not keep well for long periods.

The greatest issue with this type of beekeeping logic is that the whole colony is ruined at harvest time. Obviously, the whole operation had to be started from the beginning. Hives would need to be rebuilt, and a colony of bees had to be obtained and inserted. Honey simply couldn't be delivered on a consistant schedule, it was far too ineffective.

The invention of the top bar hive by Langstroth in the middle of the 1800's was just what beekeepers where needing. This man truly modified everything in the beekeeping community. His innovative project allowed for a top opening and removable frames. Not only did this afford for easier extraction of the honey, but the colony and hive would not be annihilated.

Entire Colonies Are Kept In Man-Made Hives.

Additionaly, Langstroth's design allowed the beekeeper to inspect the colony. At long last, beekeepers could control diseases and parasites in the hive. Honey production and longevity of the colony both increased dramatically.

Beekeepers could now deliver a steady supply of honey instead of the on-again-off-again output of the past. The excellence and pureness of the honey that was reaped increased as well.

That basic hive design is still being employed in around 75% of beekeeping farms around the world. Regionally, the beehives may seem dissimilar, but the idea is the same. One such variation is called a bar and frame hive. It has a slanted cap like a cottage would have. This keeps rain out of the beehive.

Figuring out the size of beehive to make for your colony is a subject of conditions. Bees will continue to reside in their hive year round but will call for protection from extremes. In frigid weather climates, what are known as double-deep boxes are employed. In other areas, a single box system works fine. The idea is to make your bees are comfortable in their abode.

Apiaries House Groupings of Hives Containing Several Colonies.

Sometimes, several colonies of bees and their hives are kept in what's called an apiary. This is an open air structure that serves as shade and protection from the elements. Hundreds of hives are kept at commercial apiaries, while a personal bee house may have only a few.

With good apiary plans, a beekeeper can competently layout his own apiary to the size he requires.

Groups of bee hives are also kept in appropriate contexts such as alongside a flower-filled field or agriculture field. Groves of standing timber or the edge of timberland around wildflower fields make the best natural apiaries. They afford shade and security as well as a nearby food source. Bees need to rehydrate and having a pond or other body of water nearby is a must.

One thought for just where the beehive is placed, is the honey you wish to produce. Bees that feast off of flowers such as clover produce light colored, mild tasting honey. In complete contrast, bees feeding from plants such as buckwheat give rise to an extremely dark amber honey. This deep dark honey is exceedingly strong in flavor and is said to contain a lot more antioxidants.

Once set up in the hive, your bees can go to work for you. Yes, they'll be producing honey and beeswax nearly continously, however they can accomplish even more. Quite a few beekeepers pack up their beehives and hire them out to local farmers for crop pollination.

Bees are absolutely necessary to pollinate about one-half of the food that we consume. These active tiny creatures ensure the farmers crop produces fruit that he can harvest. Meanwhile, the bees get a free meal that they turn into combs chuck-full of rich, golden honey. It is a near perfect partnership between mankind and nature.

Honey collection has come quite a way since our early ancestors first raided a hive. Today, apiarists are easily stocked and have more understanding of bees and their lives. That actually means that nearly anyone can farm bees now and harvest honey, beeswax or furnish bees to other beekeepers.

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For more information and to request your Free DIY Beekeeping articles, visit: http://beekeeping.biblioflip.com K.L. "Vin" Hayes leads a group of autonomous authors and researchers. Over the last 10 years, they've worked together to develop high-quality digital reprints of vintage documents as well as original works. Vin specializes in how-to information that includes a wide assortment of matters such as hunting & fishing, hobbies & crafts, construction, self-improvement and more.