Imgur User Shares What His Life As A Beekeeper Is Like And It's Fascinating (7 Images And Gifs)

• 01

  Spring and food

  
  via Simplethings1

  "Keep in mind that a vivid hive, like this one, can easily starve in March as bees fly, won't find enough nectar and/or pollen and will consume what's IN the hive. A hive can collapse under certain circumstances and that is why a beekeeper should look after the ladies. I decided to give them a bit of a snack, hence 1.5 kg of sugar on top of each hive. If they can eat, they are happy and that is what we strive for, right? Now let's see how we feed a hive...

  First of all, I use two different kinds of hives. These hives are IN a house, allowing me to work with them even if it rains." 

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• 02

  "Now as I said, Spring is knocking at our door. Look at the lower left if the picture, see the fresh dirt pile? I'm not alone..."

  
  via Simplethings1

  "Here we go. A fox has chosen to live under my beehouse. He made a second entrance on the opposite side of the house, so I decided to close this one but leave the other untouched so the pal gets shelter. Is a fox a problem for a beekeeper? Yes, if he gets into a hive, he'd probably be in heaven, but the bees would take care of him... So people have cats n dogs, I have a Fox now. I think I'll call him Frank. Welcome my pal, enjoy your stay."

• 03

  "This is one way to feed. You fill a bucket with food and put it on top of the hive. The top has a hole in it and bees come up and get the food. "

  
  via Simplethings1

  "The mark on the scotch tape indicates how much they have eaten. About 2 kg in 4 days. These bees are one fire. Time to take a closer look on the other side of the hive, where they fly."

• 04

  "See how some bees "shoot" in one line out of the hive like a bullet. These bees have found a source of food and hurry to get it in the hive."

  via Simplethings1

  "Actually, did  you know that every bee has a job to do in its life. These bees here are mature and have the honour to go and collect. You will never see young bees collecting, they have a different task to fulfill in the hive."

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• 05

  "Slow-mo at the landing space."

  via Simplethings1

  Watch that single bee that approaches 3 times and then leaves. This bee wanted to get in but could not smell the "odor" of her population. Entering a wrong hive could mean death, as other bees might attack her.

• 06

  "So how do we put a box of sugared good on top?"

  via Simplethings1

  "Pretty easy. Act slowly, open the to, turn the cover, watch the bees and put the food on it. See that one bee turning her butt towards me and flapping her wings?

  
  This bee is doing 2 things. 1 She threatens me (makes noise) and she makes sure that the odor of the hive gets spread so that flying bees could identify "their" hive."

• 07

  Happy Bees

  via Simplethings1

  "Voila, all bees are happy. This particular bee asked me if I could tell you guys that she loves humans and that you don't have to be afraid of them. They don't sting. So I said that I'll do that and she took off."

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