How to start beekeeping

Beekeeping Supplies

Looking for tips and tricks to help you start or maintain your own bee hives? Check back here often for articles and advice to help you succeed with your hives.  Your success is our goal so be sure to ask if you have any questions. Here is a quick list of things you will need if you want to become a beekeeper.

• Beehive kit
• Bee suit
• Hive tool
• Bees
• Area with flowers nearby
• Beekeeping books
• Desire to succeed!

Bee Hive

Lets start with the beehive kit.  You will need a hive kit with a base, a brood super, honey supers, and a top.  I suggest you find a local beekeeper and ask them to show you their operation and tell you a little about how they keep their bees.  Usually, the least expensive way to get started is to buy a kit from The Bhive.  It’s probably a good idea to just get a complete or deluxe kit so you will have everything you need and you won’t have to keep shopping for more stuff within a couple of months.

Bee Suit

Next is the bee suit.  Make sure you buy all of the components of the bee suit so you will have complete protection while you work on your hives. You will need:

• Hat with veil
• Coveralls
• Gloves
• Sturdy footwear

Again I suggest buying all of this stuff as part of a comprehensive kit. One tip I have for you is be sure to get the leather gloves.  They have better dexterity than the rubber type and helps keep hand funk to a minimum. Be sure all of the components of your bee suit fit properly before you even think about using it around bees and hives.  The right clothes and the right fit, combined with good beekeeping habits will help you avoid stings and hive disruption. Visit our online store

Hive Tool

Bee Hive Tool Be sure to buy a proper bee hive tool.  It may seem at first like you don’t need one of these or that you can just use a putty knife and a screwdriver, but trust me and buy one.  They are fairly inexpensive and will help you a ton when you are working on your hives.

Honey Bees For Sale

You are gonna need to get some bees obviously.  This is the fun part.  Try to find a local or semi-local beekeeper who is willing to sell you some bees or visit our online store.  Tell them that you are a beginner and how man hives you are starting.  There is a good chance that they will be happy to sell you some bees, but if not they will definitely be able to refer you to a live bee supplier. If there are no beekeepers in the area, there are plenty of online vendors where you can buy bees.  Just do a google search for “honey bees for sale” and you will find some options.  Make sure the vendor you choose ships bees in the mail, or is close enough for you to drive to pick up your bees. I personally recommend getting your bees from a source as close to your home as possible.  This will ensure your new bees are acclimated to the local climate and well suited to the flora of your area.

Queen Bee

You are gonna need a queen bee for your hive.  There is a good chance you will be able to get your queen from the same place that you get your bees.  If you do get your queen separate from your bees, make sure you let them get to know each other with a physical barrier (screen) in place first.  Otherwise the bees will likely kill the queen.

Nectar

Your bees need nectar to survive and they get it from flowers.  Make sure you position your hive in an area with as many flowers as possible.  Consider planting perennial flowers that bloom at different times throughout the year.  This will ensure that your bees have the sustenance they need to provide for themselves and to make enough honey to share some with you.

Beekeeping Books

Though this blog will serve as an excellent resource for beekeeping information, it is not a substitute for the kind of in depth knowledge that is available in many of the books on the market today.  Do some shopping and previewing, and then buy one or two comprehensive beekeeping books.  Trust me when I say that you will be referring to these books a lot.

For the Love of Honey

This is the easy part.  To succeed at anything you need inspiration.  For beekeeping inspiration, all you really need is the love of honey.  You will be able to eat and share your own delicious and natural honey for years to come.  You will reap all of the fantastic health benefits of eating local, unprocessed honey made by your own bees right in your backyard.