Bees for Prepping

Bees provide honey which is a renewable natural food source with an infinite shelf life, but it also offers other benefits.

Honey bees promote pollination and increase the yield of fruits and vegetables.   After keeping a potted blooming lemon tree indoors for two winters and only getting 2 - 4 lemons, we started pollinating the blooms with a small paint brush.  The third year, there are over 40 lemons on the tree.  So having bees around should improve the productivity of your garden and orchard.

Bee hives are easy to acquire, maintain, and fun, unless you are  allergenic to them. But this is not a bee instructional paper, but rather a sales pitch to convince readers of their value.

The merits of honey for your own use and barter are well known.  Many believe that consuming local honey has certain health benefits.  But few think about the security value that bees can provide as not many people want to get close to bees, even if they are not the "Africanized" Killer Bees or more aggressive Russian variety.

Consider having a bee hive at each avenue of approach to your retreat as an added element of security. Another alternative is to have a large gap between bee hives to funnel traffic in that direction and have trip wires across it to detect intruders.  

You might also park your tractor or mower near the bee hives where someone is less likely to steal them.  If burglars keep breaking into a barn, move your bee hives near it as a deterrent and remove the queen to make them more aggressive.

But above all else, enjoy fresh natural honey.  Just be careful about selling it as new laws are being passed to make it impossible for small farmers to sell their products with out having government inspections and a license. By controlling the food supply, the government can control the people. 

For more information on Bees and supplies, visit:

• http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/
• http://buildabeehive.com/
• https://www.kelleybees.com/
• http://www.honeybeesonline.com/

 
Low cost Beginner kits can be found at:

• http://buildabeehive.com/p20-8-Frame-Standard-Bee-Hive-Starter-Kit-Unassembled-Wood.html
• http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/10-Frame-Beginner-Beekeeping-Kit/productinfo/110/

Lowest cost starter hive:

• http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/10-Frame-Comp-Unassembled-Hive/productinfo/101/

Bee suit:

• http://www.amazon.com/BESTOPE%C2%AE-Professional-Beekeeping-Protecting-Equipment/dp/B00NJOWK3O/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1442184021&sr=1-1&keywords=bee+suit

My favorite Hive:

•  http://www.amazon.com/Mann-Lake-HK170-Traditional-Wood-Frames/dp/B00B8L5ZJ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442182857&sr=8-1&keywords=Bee+Hive

 
When you get ready to expand it, get this to grow your hive:

• http://www.amazon.com/Mann-Lake-HK190-Assembled-Wood-Frames/dp/B00B8L600E/ref=pd_bxgy_86_text_y

And then add this for your honey harvesting section:

• http://www.amazon.com/Mann-Lake-HK210-Assembled-Wood-Frames/dp/B00B8L60IG/ref=pd_bxgy_86_text_z

In the end, it will be nice to have all this stuff in the Premium kit, but not absolutely necessary.

Here is the Premium Kit:

• http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083WGJBQ?psc=1 
• http://buildabeehive.com/p4-Premium-Bee-Hive-Starter-Kit-Fully-Assembled-Wood.html

Enjoy your honey!

For additional information see the following links:

Blog Table of Contents

Building your food stores the right way

Best Prepper Chicken Breed
Urban Survival Plan