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Focus
The Secret Sauce of Beekeeping//Issue 015
Welcome back to The Beekeeper’s Blueprint! Or perhaps this is your first time here. Welcome! 😉
The focus of this week is Focus, so that you get the MOST out of your beekeeping experience!
Everything I have for you today will give lead you to Real Demonstration & Advice at my YouTube Channel: The Hive Doctor, after each section.
Beekeeping is an experiential-based skill and I want to help you in the best ways that I can.
Here’s an outline of today’s beekeepery things for you:
-Focus in Beekeeping-
#1- The results of Lack of Focus.
#2- How to use Focus to Streamline your beekeeping.
Now let’s get into the core of each point! The world of beekeeping is waiting for you!
Point #1- What happens when we Lack Focus.
I have found that beekeeping without FOCUS is less than productive and not quite as fun as it could be.
Without it, the beekeeper seems to simply float along the season, not necessarily knowing what to do or when to do it; having a seemingly hopeful ideal that everything will just work out and the bees will take care of themselves.
Unfortunately this lack of focus is a symptom of something else; ignorance. Not ignorance in a “stupid” sense but for exactly what it literally means: the lack of proper knowledge or experience.
In-depth hive work.
This ignorance is generally what results in our colonies absconding (leaving the hive due to stressful conditions), dying unexplainably and becoming overrun with pests & disease.
I still remember that feeling of excitement that I had when I got my own first 10 beehives! That excitement was thwarted however with worry over knowing about the pests of the hive but not knowing what to do about them.
Speaking of which, if you’re just as lost and want to know how to preventatively treat your colonies with an efficient Pest & Disease Management System, I have created an eGuide specifically for that.
More specifically, this first eGuide helps you to know exactly how to battle the three most common pests to honey bees: Wax moths, Small hive beetles and Varroa. Download your own copy here today: BeeNativeHoney.com
Point #2- How to Streamline your beekeeping using Focus.
Gaining Focus begins with you. What do YOU want out of beekeeping?
Perhaps it’s Honey for your family or to sell.
Or maybe to improve the environment.
Helping the honey bees.
Maybe it runs in the family.
Whatever your reason may be, that reason is your anchor. That anchor is your focus. To fulfill your focus each and every year means that you must fill in the gap between you and your anchor with steps and goals.
These steps will help guide you to your purpose. What are these steps you may ask? How do you learn them? Well, I have good news for you!
The steps to get to anyone’s purpose in beekeeping is seasonally guided. There are Three Core Principles that guide beekeeping no matter where you keep bees:
#1- The Habits & Behaviors of the Honey bee.
#2- Seasonal Tasks as guided by the seasons and their transitions.
#3- Having a consistent and variable Pest & Disease Management System in place.
When you FOCUS on knowing and experiencing these three Principles inside and out, your beekeeping experience AND intuition begin to grow.
Wake up and Focus!! 😆
#1- Focusing on the behaviors and habits of the honey bee are going to familiarize yourself with the structure and characteristics of the honey bee colony.
Books are a great way to start this basic knowledge set but applying it practically by observing in-hive activities afterwards is what helps it to stick.
#2- Focusing on the seasons and their transitions in your area and when they occur, for how long AND what forage is available during each one for your bees is essential in managing your operation and dictating what you do and when you do it.
This takes time but to give you a head start, here’s an awesome book that will help if you keep bees in the States: American Honey Plants by Frank C. Pellett.
Looks like Pam’s excited 😉
#3- Having a consistent Pest & Disease Management plan in place is not only going to give you the best chance at maintaining happy, thriving beehives but it will also aid in your understanding of how the colony works as you learn how these dang pests work as well.
You can certainly try this on your own. Or you can check out the easy way where I give you chemical treatment options, non-chemical treatment options AND natural options for keeping them critters at bay as much as possible.
Enjoying what you’re reading so far? Check out my book: The Intuitive Beekeeper, Beyond Master Beekeeping by clicking the picture below!
Available at Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble.
Click the picture and see what HiveAlive has for your bees! I use this stuff year-round with very satisfying results.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom 😉. I want to hear from you!
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