Introduction to Beekeeping

Bees LOVE broccoli flowers!

Today's lecture will be a tad bifurcated...  

We will be at The Learning Garden until 3:00 - with a little time for you to look at your gardens, there will be about a one hour lecture on beekeeping.  At 3:00 PM we will pack ourselves into vehicles and drive about a mile on a very brief field trip to see some occupied hives.  

If you are so late you miss us at the Garden, please call me for the address and directions to our field trip.


Why are bees important to us?
Honey
Pollination – 3 out of every 5 bites
Honey bees are not native to the Americas
Mason Orchard bee


Africanized Bees – African genes are spread throughout the population of all wild bees in the warmer portions of the US – however, these genes are not all bad... they can be more aggressive, but they are also harder workers and more productive – all bees can be aggressive


Colony Collapse Disorder - since 2006 or thereabouts Why?
Varroa mite
pesticides
GMOs
Industrial beekeeping
Shipping bees for pollinators
Or we just don't know...


Bee Losses from CCD
Future of the honey bee
Urban beekeeping


Introduction to practical beekeeping:

Equipment you need:
        Bee suit - covers your entire body except your hands
        Gloves - vented with sealable gauntlets 
        Veil - some have helmet inside; others you need a helmet with
I suggest purchasing these at LA Honey where you can try them on and get items that fit you. If I had purchased these items online, I would not have gotten the correct size.
Smoker
Hive tool
Rags (some wet) (honey is sticky!)
Flashlight
Epi pen
Hive box(es) and frames
Couple of good books and a mentor







Resources;


http://www.backwardsbeekeepers.com/


http://honeylove.org/


Los Angeles Honey Co
Address: 1559 Fishburn Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Phone:(323) 264-2383


david