Bees are highly underrated. Sure they may sting you sometimes but honestly, you most likely did something that warranted this ultimate sacrifice of losing their life. Honeybees are an integral part of our ecosystem as pollinators, helping plants reproduce all over the world.
Unfortunately, the bees are in trouble. Their population is slowly declining and it’s attributed to human interference factors such as pesticides, climate change, and habitat destruction. If we lose these important pollinators we are at risk of losing so much more than just pretty wildflowers. The extinction of bees could mean not only the loss of all the crops that they pollinate but it would slowly move up the food chain affecting the animals that consume them and then the global population that relies on all of this as a source of food.
Due to the alarming numbers of the declining bee population, many have chosen to use their property as a haven for these little guys. Though beekeeping requires knowledge, time and effort, and some resources, it is fairly simple to start. Continue reading for the ultimate beginner’s guide for diving into beekeeping.
Getting Started
Before you run off to get your first hive, it’s important to gain a full understanding of what exactly you’re getting into. How much work you put into preparation for starting your bee community can make all the difference if your hive can reach its full potential or if you sadly lose the whole colony.
Start Studying
It’s hard to know how to properly take care of something if you don’t have a strong understanding of it. There are plenty of books and online resources to get started with when you decide you want to get into beekeeping. If you are most interested in the honey aspect of these insects, it’s important to understand how exactly the bees make the honey. Learn as much as you can of how a hive works, the honey-making process, how to set up a beehive, and all the tasks associated with beekeeping so that you can best promote the best and healthiest environment possible.
Connect with Fellow Beekeepers
It’s been said that the best way to learn is through direct experience. While you don’t have any of that experience quite yet, you can use your local resources such as beekeeping organizations to connect with others doing what you want to do. The details of beekeeping can be specific to your local area so you have a better chance of success if you draw advice from those who have made it work in your community. Having a mentor can be an invaluable resource for your first season of beekeeping in the case that you’re worried about your hive or you can’t find the queen.
Gather Your Supplies
It’s important to have all your supplies ready before the hive arrives. The basic equipment that you will need as a new beekeeper includes:
- Bee suit: Complete with hood and gloves
- Beehive: There are many options and styles of boxes, bottom boards, covers and frames
- Smoker: To calm the bees when you go to enter the hive
- Hive tool: For opening the hive
- Honey extractor, buckets, and strainers: When it comes time to reap your rewards
Working with the local beekeepers that you connected with can help you identify the ideal tools for the type of hive that you will be maintaining. Sometimes they will even have tools that you can borrow while you are just getting started.
Order Your Bees
Some people are lucky enough to find a natural swarm for starting their beehive. However, most will need to order a colony from a retail supplier. For beginners, it’s best to start with a “nuc colony” which is a starter package including a queen bee and a few worker bees. Since the queen has already started laying brood, this gives you a head start for a successful beekeeping experience.
Caring for Your Bees
Once you have a beehive started, it’s time for the fun part!
Basic Bee Care
While beekeeping doesn’t necessarily mean putting out a bowl of food and water like the needs of other household pets, it does require time and effort. It’s important to be very observant especially in the first year of starting a beehive so that you don’t lose all the work you put in by losing a queen and then the whole colony.
An important part of bee care is providing their food through growing flowers. It is smart to plant a variety of perennial flowers to provide the easiest access to food for your bees. As pesticides and herbicides are not only harmful to these delicate little guys but also can end up in your honey, try to avoid using chemicals such as these in your garden at all costs.
Harvesting Honey
This is when all your hard work pays off but it’s not quite over yet. Typically honey is harvested in the fall but it is possible to harvest at other points of the year as well.
To harvest the honey, you will need to use your full bee suit, smoker, and hive tool. You start first by removing the beehive frames and scraping off the beeswax caps. You then place the honeycomb in a bucket where the honey will sink to the bottom. After you have strained the honey and removed any debris, your raw honey is fully harvested and ready to be enjoyed. For further use of your hive, the honeycomb can be melted down and used to make candles or even eaten by itself.
As studies have shown, the extinction of the bee population would pose huge risks to the global human population. Beekeeping is a fulfilling hobby whether you have decided to start as a way to do your part in saving the world or you just love the idea of fresh honey in your tea. By learning about the basics of beekeeping, you can support the growth of the honeybee population as well as the benefit of some unique jars of honey to gift around the holidays.