5 Beekeeping Tips for Beginners
I love that there’s a bit of science and wonder to be found in bees.
There are moments I will pause and close my eyes to attempt to fully take in their constant, hypnotic, buzzing. They’re soothing and working with them has been one of the only activities I’ve found where I am not mentally or physically some place else. To feel still and truly present has been a found gift of our beekeeping.
…as romantic as it can be, there are some things to know before diving into the world of honey bees!
5 Beekeeping Tips for Beginners:
Location: Place your hives at least 5km away from another bee keeper
Pests & Disease: make sure the person you purchase your bees from has had their yard inspected for disease and pests by a regulatory body; they should be able to provide proof. Study up on pests, diseases, and how to treat them. Be weary of used equipment (we personally don’t buy or utilize any used equipment)
Two Hives: always start with two hives instead of just one
Stance: when you are inspecting your hives, stand on the side, not in front of the entrance
Smoker: to keep your smoker from going out, don’t forget to give it a puff every so often
Explanation:
Location of at least 5km from another keeper: unlike other livestock, bees travel for their food.
Keeping only so many bees per bee yard, and ensuring that you are not within 5km (ideally more, although, I’ve heard of less) of another keeper, can help the health of your own bees, other keepers’ bees, and take into consideration local pollinators.
Taxing the bees in terms of food and nutrition can lead to disease and pest susceptibility as they become a weakened colony. If forage is depleted, there is also a chance bees will not have enough resources to make an abundance of honey for the hive to thrive through the winter months, or, as much for you to collect come harvest season.
2. Pests & Disease: make sure the person you purchased your bees from has had their yard inspected by a regulatory body; they should be able to provide proof upon request. There’s one disease that can wipe out not only your own colonies, but because bees travel, other keepers’ in your area as well. American Foulbrood can last up to 80 years and one of the suggested ways to get rid of it, is to dispatch (kill) all of your bees and burn your equipment. Before your bees arrive, study up on both the common pests (i.e., Varroa Mites that keepers deal with every season), and not so common ones, to ensure you know what to look for and how to treat it before it potentially impacts your apiary, and/or others’.
If you have a few hives in your backyard, although heartbreaking, getting rid of two hives might not financially be a big concern. If you have a commercial beekeeper in your area with 50 or more hives, they are not only losing their livestock/pets, they are losing a considerable amount of money invested. Income is also lost when the farmer can no longer produce or sell their honey.
3. Two Hives: always start with two hives instead of just one. Why? Spare parts. If one hive is not doing well, you might be able to take a frame of needed resources from the other (i.e., honey, or brood).
4. Stance: we want to minimally interfere with our bees when keep as much as possible. Bees are busy workers and are tirelessly out collecting and bringing back nectar and pollen for their hive’s needs; we don’t want to disturb their hard work!
5. Smoker: we use our smoker as little as possible. When we do light it, we don’t want to have to continue to do so over and over. One thing that helps keep your smoker going is to simply give it a pump every so often to get some air into the chamber and keep the embers burning.
Keeping bees is not exactly a ‘set it and forget it’ hobby to get into but I personally think that with some time commitment, and knowledge, keeping bees is one of the most rewarding of hobbies one can pursue.
Thank you so much for taking the time to pop by for a visit today! I hope to see you again soon.
-Samantha