Investing in beekeeping is all the rage currently. This is because most industries now use honey, wax, and other beekeeping products in their merchandise. Not all bees will nonetheless suffice for your venture. Like other living organisms, there are different types of bees all with variations in their productivity, disease resistance, and temperament. Your environment will also impact the type and amount of honey you harvest and the bees you attract.
Honey bees, coupled with the right beekeeping kit, are the essential elements of success in bee farming. These bees are a subspecies of the eight bee species that exist. A stock in bee farming denotes a combination of specific honey bees based on their traits, population, breeding line, and other aspects, although some variations might still exist among them. The following are the available honey bee varieties.
Italian Bees
These have for a long time, remained the best species for honey production. Italian bees will build their colonies in the spring then maintain them through the summer thus guaranteeing you an extended breeding period. The bees have a light leather hue that is almost yellow and are less prone to diseases compared to German bees. They might, however, consume a lot of the honey they produce if it is not harvested immediately the production ceases. They also frequently rob the honey from other weak colonies. This will be a significant issue if you have multiple honey bee species on your farm.
German Bees
These have a dark color. German bees are hardy strains that will survive for extended periods, even in the coldest of winters. They are nevertheless quite defensive and will thus be quite challenging to manage. Moreover, they are susceptible to various conditions and can be wiped out fast by disease as the risk of cross-contamination between them is high.
The Carniolan Bee
This species has an explosive breeding potential in spring that allows it to increase its population and take advantage of the favorable weather to boost your honey amount. The Carniolan bee is also very docile, and you can harvest the honesty from its hives with little protective smoking and smoke. Moreover, this honey bee species builds quality wax combs that can be used in cosmetics, soaps, and candles. Their rapid breeding might, unfortunately, lead to an overcrowding of your hive and leave you with inferior quality honey.
The Caucasian Bee
This bee species has a long tongue that will enable it to forage flower nectar that other species might be unable to. The Caucasian bee has a moderate color and is also very docile. It, however, has slow breeding in spring that will keep it from producing large honey crops. The Caucasian bee also produces a considerable quantity of propolis. This is a sticky resin that might seal your hives and make their manipulation difficult.
Having the best kit is not the only thing that will guarantee you the profits available in bee farming. Without one of the honey bee species above, you might not realize even the smallest drop of honey on your farm. You can also opt to mix the species in your stock to maximize the honey produced.
