There’s something so alluring and satisfying about keeping your own bee colonies. Perhaps it’s the fact that you can enjoy fresh backyard-to-table honey. Also, that you’re doing your part in helping save the bees or even simply because it gives you something to focus on which helps you distract from the daily stresses of life.
If you’ve been thinking about starting beekeeping, there’s no better time to start than now. But first, here are the basics you should know before becoming a beekeeper.
How to Start Beekeeping
Familiarize yourself with Beekeeping Rules
One thing you’ll want to do ahead of time is to learn the laws and regulations that relate to beekeeping. These rules vary from state to state and from one municipal to the next.
Thus, it’s important that you find out the specific beekeeping policies that apply to your area. Speaking of policies, there are two main things you’ll need to do:
Avoid being negligent
Negligence is when an individual fails to practice routine or expected care. In the context of beekeeping, it means the beekeeper has perhaps located his/her hive in an area that poses a risk to others.
Being negligent also happens when a beekeeper handles the colonies at a time or in a manner that makes it hazardous to other people. Lastly, negligence occurs when a beekeeper intentionally keeps aggressive bees like the Africanized honey bee.
Take precautions
As a beekeeper, it’s your responsibility to keep your family members, neighbors and other people who frequent your home, safe. The easiest way to go about this is to post signs in strategic places within your property, notifying them that you keep beehives.
Also, give your bees have all the resources they need so that they’re not forced to look for these resources elsewhere. We’re talking about things like water, food, and space.
On the same note, you should ensure that the temperature and humidity levels in the hive are just right. Though these creatures have their own mechanism for regulating temperature, there are a few things you can do to help. For instance, if it’s too hot:
- Invest in a slatted bottom board and a screened inner cover to provide maximum ventilation
- Place the hives in a shaded area
- Ensure there’s adequate space in the hive for proper air circulation
Types of Bees
There are many books, case studies, videos and other resourceful materials that can help you learn about these sweet creatures. You should read as much as you can about them so that you’re ready to handle them when they finally arrive.
One of the most important things to know entails the different species of bees. They fall under two main categories:
Social Bees
The main attribute of social bees is that they form massive colonies. Their hives consist of swarms of bees that are crawling over each other as they feed and create honey. Essentially, this is the kind of insect that comes to mind when anyone mentions bees.
There are three main types of social bees namely bumble bees, honey bees and Africanized honey bees. Among these three, honey bees are the most prevalent, and they’re also the ones used for beekeeping. Thus, we’ll take a closer look at them:
Honey bees
What makes these bees so popular is the fact that they’re the leading pollinator insect in the whole world. To be more specific, scientists have discovered that they are pollinators for over 100 agricultural crops.
Smaller in size than bumble bees, these creatures work in what is known as the caste system. This means that every bee plays a specific role in the process of maintaining the hive. There are three castes:
- Queen – this is an adult female bee. She is the parent mother of the majority of bees in the hive. The queen bee stays in one location and is taken care of by other hive members.
- Worker – also females, the worker bees are those that tend to the queen by taking food to her and caring for the larvae.
- Drone – these are males, and they’re responsible for flying out and pollinating flowers. In essence, drone bees are those that bring nectar to the hive.
Here are 3 type of popular honeybees:
Italian Honeybees: These bees tend to be the most popular type of bees for beekeeping. They are hard working, aesthetic and easy to handle. They’re tender character makes them easy to handle for beginners. Now one drawback is that they can be demanding when it comes to resources.
Carniolans Honeybees: They have a very mild temperament however they can require a bit more work when it comes to handling. If you live in a colder climate with harsh winters then Carniolans are a good option. Something important to know about them is that during Spring the population increases rapidly which can be a good thing if you’re looking to build up the population quickly before summer but you should be ready incase of swarms.
Russian honeybees: These honeybees tend to be very submissive which makes them easy to work with. Although due to their breeding habits it’s a bit harder for the average beekeeper to obtain them.
Solitary Bees
Solitary bees prefer working individually. Even if they do work together, their colonies contain only a small number of bees. Otherwise, they’d rather fly alone, and look for food that is just enough to feed the larvae they have.
One good trait about solitary bees is that they don’t cause harm to humans. Very few of them can cause problems that warrant a visit to the doctor.
Examples of solitary bees include:
- Carpenter bees
- Digger bees
- Leafcutting and mason bees
Beekeeping Equipment
Beehive – It’s a no-brainer that the first thing you’ll need to get is a beehive. The two most common variations of beehives are:
- Top Bar Hive – This is considered the oldest model of beehive. It’s a single-storey, one-box hive containing all the resources the bees need to thrive. This hive has a protective roof, under which there are detachable wooden bars running across. It’s from these bars that bees form their honeycombs.
- Langstroth Hive – Named after their inventor- Rev. Lorenzo Langstroth- these hives consist of three main parts.
There’s the bottom board, which serves as the entrance for bees; inner cover and top cap, which protects the bees from external elements; and several framed boxes. The boxes are the storage units for brood and honey.
Bee Suit – If you’re planning to spend most of your time around these insects, invest in a quality bee suit. Ideally, this protective outfit should be able to prevent the bees from coming into direct contact with you, especially your face.
Bee suits are designed differently with some covering just a small portion of your body. They are categorized into: full body, upper body, and veils. If you can afford it, the full body bee suit is the best because it protects your entire body.
Gloves – Even though they’re not a compulsory gear, gloves are recommended, especially for beginner beekeepers. My favorite pair of gloves are those made of leather since they’re durable and sturdy enough to protect my hands from bee stings.
Boots – The other thing you’ll need is a good pair of boots to protect your legs and feet against bees. These insects have a tendency to climb upwards so it’s advisable to tuck your trousers inside the boots.
Smoker – A smoker is another essential piece of equipment. The purpose of this tool is to generate smoke, which is then directed to the hive. When bees detect this smoke, they naturally think that their hive has caught fire; hence prepare to leave.
That said, lighting a smoker takes a little bit of getting used to. Ideally, you shouldn’t use actual fire- just the smouldering material that emits smoke.
How & Where To Get Bees
After buying all the equipment you’ll need for beekeeping, the next step is figuring out where to get the bees from. You have two main options:
From your local beekeper’s association
If this activity is allowed in your locale, chances are that there’s already a beekeeping association that exists.
Often, these organizations enlighten consumers on the benefits of beekeeping. They also engage in economic activities like selling bees and bee products.
Local beekeeper’s associations are the most reliable source of bees. For one, you can receive a lot of guidance on how to go about the whole process. This entails aspects such as how and where to set up your hive, how and what to feed them just to mention a few.
From a fellow beekeeper
Beekeepers have different reasons for why they keep them around. Most keep them to benefit from crop pollination. Others like the fresh supply of rich honey while some just do this as a hobby.
If there’s no local beekeeping association in your region, you can buy your bees from fellow bee enthusiasts. However, ensure the bee breeder you’re buying from is a local. This way, you’re guaranteed that the bees are used to the local climate meaning that they’ll adapt easily.
Helpful Beekeeping Tips
Place the hive in a strategic place: Bees will be flying in and out of the direction of the hive. This means you should be very careful about where you place your hive. Don’t place it anywhere your neighbors backyard or keep it far away from your pool. A good recommendation if possible is to elevate it as far as you can. Rooftop hives are a great choice or perhaps high up on a tree.
Join a beekeeping club: You’re beekeeping experience will be much easier if you can have a group of people as resources when your first starting out. Fortunately there exist a lot of beekeeping clubs all over the US and the world. Use the link mentioned up above to find a club near you.
Keep your hives close: If you choose not to set up your beehive in your backyard and choose another place try to keep it as close to you as possible. Although a 10 minute travel time might not seem a lot right now it adds up and after a while you might stop checking up on them as often as you need to
Be prepared for swarms: Bees swarm, its a fact of nature. You can try your best to split the hive before the swarm but chances are it will happen eventually. Being prepared for a swarm is a must and having a new home for the swarm will make the task easier when the time comes.
Key Takeaway
Beekeeping is an exciting venture, whether you’re doing it as a hobby or a full-time vocation. If you’re just getting started, you’ll need to learn the basics first. For starters, find out if there are any beekeeping rules that apply to your area.
Secondly, read and learn as much as you can about the different types of bees, their behavior and how to care for them. Once you have a good understanding of these creatures, gather the necessary supplies such as beehive, bee suit, gloves, boots, a smoker, and notepad.
The last step entails finding a reputable breeder to buy bees from. Whenever possible, get your insects from your local beekeeping association. This way, you’ll have someone to guide you every step of your beekeeping journey.