Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Hammer and a few nails
• Toothpicks
• Notebook
• Camera (This is a once in a lifetime event!)
• Bees (Please, don't forget them.)
When you finish using the smoker, empty its contents on a fireproof surface, making
sure the coals are out. You can also lay the smoker on its side; without a draft, and it
will quickly go out.
Still lit or still very hot smokers can cause fires if placed too close to flammable ma-
terial. Make sure it's empty and cool before putting it away.
Occasionally check the intake air tube on the bottom to make sure it is clear, and
scrape out the inside of the funnel. Accumulated ash will slowly close the hole.
If sparks from the fire are coming out of the spout, check your fuel because it may
be nearly gone. If the fuel is still plentiful, grab a handful of grass and put it on the top
of the fuel inside to stop the sparks.
Never aim your smoker at someone and puff. Besides causing the inhalation of
smoke and limiting sight, flying sparks may ignite clothing. Also, use smoke sparingly
on your bees. A little bit goes a long, long way in controlling the bees.
Package Management
When They Arrive
Almost all beekeepers get their first bees from a business that sells packages. Bees are
sold by the pound, and the most common size has 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of bees. With about
3,500 bees in a pound, a 3-pound (1.4 kg) package (the most common and most re-
commended) contains more than 10,000 bees. Almost all are workers who have been
removed from a single colony and placed in the package. Then, a queen, in her cage, is
added to the package, a feeder can put in its slot, and the top covered.
Shown is a typical 3-pound (1.4 kg) package of honey bees. The bees hang around the
queen, who is suspended inside the package next to the tin can that holds sugar syrup.
The package has a cardboard or plywood cover on top, keeping the can, the queen, and
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