As a beekeeper, you want to see your hives become more successful each year. You want to know how you can improve your bees’ honey-making abilities. Here are some ways to increase honey production in your hives. Try to implement these ideas in your own hives, and it may surprise you how quickly they fill up with delicious honey.
Keep Out Predators
Nothing can disrupt a beehive like bees’ natural predators. Bears, raccoons, and other woodland creatures can hurt beehives and kill many bees. If you want to increase your honey production, you must keep your hives secure. A common method is to use alarms or trackers. These can alert you if a distant apiary is under attack.
Treat for Pests
Diseases, parasites, and pests can completely decimate a beehive and lead to low honey yields. If diseases get in the way of the beehive’s productivity, you will see far less honey in the future. The bees may abscond if they feel like there is no hope for survival in the current colony. Beekeepers can protect and increase their honey yields if they address these problems early. Look out for diseases and pests during routine inspections.
Increase Beehive Space
Increasing beehive space is one of the ways to increase honey production in your hives. More space means more room to develop honey. Bees will work to fill up that space with honey. However, beekeepers need to understand their limits, as too much space could compromise your hive’s security. More space to guard may make the hive more open to attacks from predators or pests.
Plant Bee-Friendly Flowers
Bees rely on nectar and pollen from plants to develop the food to keep their hives alive. If you want to increase their honey production, you should plant shrubs and bee-friendly flowers within foraging distance for your apiary. The furry creatures will gravitate toward what is close by, grab the nectar and pollen, and develop more honey.
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