TYPES OF BEES

 

 Beekeeping as google defines it as: "the occupation of owning and breeding bees for their honey". but beekeeping is so much more then that. To me beekeeping is something that brings me peace. just think about it you are truly changing the world just by owning bees. Its kind of crazy to think about it that way. Bees are not as scary as you may think. (well most hives anyways) bees are interesting in ways that they have quite different personalities to them depending on which hive they are in. Not only do we get sweet honey from them they pollinate our earth and truly change our lives. Have I sold you on getting a beehive yet? If so you might need a few things. The price is a little hefty but trust me its so worth it and I'm sure there cheaper places than amazon, but here's my amazon list. 

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2GJMK45R4D0FK?ref_=wl_share

If you looked at the list and had no clue WTF that all is no worries ill break it down for you. 

This is your bee suit or in this case known as the hood. The hood sits on your head and sticks out away from your face. a lot of the time this is a whole suit that you wear to give you a layer of protection between the bees and your skin. this layer of protection gives enough space that the stinger if stung can not go into your skin. Trust me if you want to be frugal with beekeeping the suit is something you should splurge on you get for what you pay for. (Totally not speaking from experience). 

The Gloves are usually made out of sheepskin and they are another part of the suit that protect you from beeing stung. 

The frames (very important)  usually ranging from 8 to 10 in a box (which you will learn about later) is were all the fun happens. By fun I mean where the eggs are laid and honey is kept. The black in the center are called starters this is plastic that helps the bees be able to start building out the comb faster and more efficiently. Some frames come with starters and others can come with just wires or even nothing. 

This is known as a hive tool that allows the frames to be pulled out of the box easier with no harm to the bees. The front flat end helps to scrape off anything that does not belong in the hive and the hook is used to pry the frames from one another.  

April 28, 2021

TYPES OF BEES

 

Lets face it there are ALOT of bees! Which are honey bees? There are so many! If you see a bee on a flower what kind is it?  Well good thing you are here I'm going to be breaking down for you. I'm breaking down the top 6 Bees you might see in your yard that may look like honey Bees. 

Bumblebees 

In the US there are 49 different species of Bumblebees. these fluffy balls are larger then your average honeybee. Bumblebees are pollinators they are vital for some native wildflowers and veggies like tomatoes. Bumblebees can sting but tend not to unless to close to their nest. 

Carpenter bees 

Definitely not a crowd favorite  because of they bore holes into wood. on the Brightside they are perfect holes. but what we don't see is that within those holes the female is laying her eggs. Many find Carpenter bees tend to be much larger then a bumble bee they also can be identified by their bald smooth abdomen. Carpenter bees are very territorial and are always looking for a fight but don't fear the males do not have stingers. 

 Mason bees

These little bees tend to be smaller then honey bees. they range in a whole bunch of colors like metallic green or blue. they are very efficient pollinators. Did you know that you can house Mason bees here are some of my favorite Mason bee houses. 

Blueberry bees 

These tiny bees look like the size of a Honeybee or a small Bumble bee. Due to their name I'm sure you are not surprised to hear that they love to pollinate blueberries. They can sting but try really hard not to. 

Sweat bees 

Sweat bees are the tiniest of the bunch were talking about in this section. They love to pollinate in late October to even November! Crazy right! Sweat bees range in colors such as green, blue metallic to even black. These tiny bees can sting but tend not to. 

 Honey bees 

Honey bees are key pollinators. their coloring. there are no native Honey bees to the United States they were brought over from Europe because of their job to pollinate crops and flowers. Most of these Honeybees do live in a manmade hive . Due to the love for their Honey. Their are all different kinds of Honeybees native to different areas around the world. 

Their are many other bees to talk about but here are some you may see in your Garden. yes bees do sting but they are key for our environment so try your hardest not to hurt them. Some ways to have bees not to sting you if you are in that situation. 

    1. Hold your breath- bees are attracted to the CO2 that you breathe out. 

    2. Do not swat at the bees- Yes this goes against every fight or flight feeling in your body but do now swat the bees away this will only make them even more aggressive. 

    3. Walk away slowly-  Taking yourself out of the situation is the best way to avoid being stung. 

Want to read more?  This is a great blog to get more information. 

Photo credits

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