Backgarden Beehives
With the continuing issues promoting the decline in bee populations within the UK, it is crucial for action to be taken, however the current conservation tactics may begin to make a break through if small efforts can be undertaken at home. In order to increase the ecology and genetic diversity of bees, it is vital that consistency in conservation management is fulfilled.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
It is becoming more and more heard of to maintain a beehive in your back garden, with a prime intention of improving the population sizes and quality of the natural roles in their ecosystems (Cuthbertson & Brown 2009). Sustaining your own beehive will not only give you a sense of goodwill towards bee conservation, but will also make great contributions to nature’s biological courses.
Due to the increasing interest in bee conservation, there are the factual guides available which provides the general public with the opportunities to keep hives in their back garden and physically maintain them, or to have a naturally functioning hive. Beekeeping can be very straight forward, although there are many aspects to consider, including:
Time and space – beekeeping is not time consuming like having pets may be. They require short amounts of time, but regularly, perhaps a total of 30 minutes per week. Contrary to what people may think about space allowances for keeping bees, they do not necessarily require large amounts, such as a large countryside garden. In fact, small urban gardens are also just as adequate. If space is limited, this only means that planning must be carried out in locating the hive so the entrance of the is not directed towards a busy area (BBKA 2011; Omlet 2015). Hives should also be in a location where they will not be directly affected by harsh wind. If there are no protective barriers in the hive’s location, a high board or fence can be installed (Quinby 2008).
Although hives can be left to their natural cycles, they can also be physically dealt with and supported. If this is the case, there are aspects involved such as safety, maintenance of the hive, and collection of honey, therefore the following essential specialist equipment will be required:
* Bee suit with veil
* Hygienic gloves for the protection of both you and the bees
* A hive tool to assist in the movement of frames
* A smoker to calm the bees (BBKA 2017).
TYPES OF HIVES
To see and understand the types and structures of some common beehives CLICK HERE. http://www.biobees.com/library/hive_other/popular_hives_UK.pdf, and to buy your very own, CLICK HERE! https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=hives