10 Things To Know Before You Start Beekeeping

Start Beekeeping Right! Here are 10 things to consider BEFORE you start keeping bees. Start off on the right foot by knowing what to expect before you get your first bees.

First written June 16, 2015, Updated September 1, 2020. I’ve learned so much more since I wrote this, and yet this is still great advice about what to expect.

What a wonderful, exciting, and educational last two weekends I’ve spent. I’ve been at Bee Class.

I’m taking a class set up by my state extension service. If you have never kept bees before, or are keeping bees but have never taken a class, I can’t stress enough how much you will get out of a good beekeeping course.

I had all kinds of misconceptions about keeping bees and getting started right. Taking the class before I bought all the equipment was definitely a good move. I’m sure it has saved me a pile of money. And a lot of work.

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Beekeepers - Start Beekeeping.

Before You Start Keeping Bees

Don, a friend from church, told me several years ago that he was going to start raising bees. That kind of put that ‘bee in my bonnet’ so to speak, and I wanted to keep bees too. But he strongly encouraged me to take a Start Beekeeping course first.

So finally, this year, when the beehives in my area were moved and my garden suffered, (NO NOT THAT!) I decided now was a good time to do it. My husband and I discussed it. We even picked out a place to put them, and I signed up for the class.

It’s really good to know what you are getting into so I wanted to give you a few things to consider before you took the plunge.

10 things to know before you start beekeeping.

Are you thinking about raising honey bees in your backyard? Maybe you want your own honey, you want better pollination for your vegetable garden, or you just want to help the struggling bees. Learning a few things about raising bees will help you know if beekeeping is right for you.

Related>> How Important Are Bees In Your Garden?

1 – Why Do You Want To Raise Bees?

There are many reasons to raise bees. Like me maybe you want to have pollinators for your garden. Maybe you want to produce your own honey.  Maybe you are interested in helping preserve the healthy bee population. Or maybe you want to make some money.

Whatever your reason, think about why you are doing it, and make sure you know how to accomplish your goals. You may approach beekeeping in a different way, maybe even by different equipment, depending on your end goal.

Bees On Hive - 10 Things To Know Before You Start Beekeeping.

2 – Is Keeping Bees Legal.

One of the important things the class will teach you is the law regarding your bees. It would not be a good thing to spend a lot of time and money on beekeeping, just to discover you can’t keep bees in your area or by the method you had planned on. Also, you need to know about liability issues.

3 – What Does It Cost To Raise Bees.

If you are not prepared to plunk down $300 to $800 or even more to start beekeeping, I would forget about raising bees right now. This is not a ‘put out a box and they will come’ proposition. There is a lot of equipment to acquire if you wish to get off on the right foot. Getting the right equipment in the first place will save you time and money and a lot of aggravation in the long run.

Related>> Beekeeping Tools – Beginning Beekeeping.

Bee Frame.

4 – Where Are You Going To Put Them?

As I mentioned above, I had picked out a spot already before I took the class. On the first day I learned that, for the health of my bees, and for legal reasons, the place I picked out would not be satisfactory at all. The class taught me how to correctly place my hive. It will save me from a lot of work fighting off pests.

Related>> Pick The Perfect Place For A Backyard Beehive.

5 – How Much Time Will They Take?

Another misconception of mine. I figured bees would need a few hours a couple of times a year. Nope! You need to plan on checking them about once a week. And they will take about 1 hour of your time per hive.

Do realize, that all of that time is not spent in the hive. It takes considerable time to suit up, start the smoker, clean things, fix things, keep records, etc. That’s before you get to the honey extraction.

6 – Do You Have Family Support?

Make sure that everyone in your household is on board. This is an endeavor that you will need some help with from time to time. Some people have a visceral hatred of bees. And people do get stung once in a while. You don’t want animosity toward you because you brought ‘those horrible creatures’ into their yard.

Related>> Raising Bees – Preventing Bee Stings.

Honey Bee on A Flower. Start Beekeeping.

7 – Get Neighborhood Support.

Once again, that visceral reaction I mentioned. It extends to the neighbors. Find out if you have any that are (actually) allergic or have that intense hatred towards bees. If they do, it will be aimed at you and you don’t want bees to come between you and your peaceful neighborhood. You don’t want a re-run of the Hatfields and McCoys.

8 – Which Equipment Is Best For You?

By taking the class, I was able to see the equipment up close. I discovered the “normal” bee boxes are very large and will be heavy when full. I decided that a smaller version would be better for my needs.

The class gave me a chance to see the equipment experienced beekeepers use, and why they like it better than other choices. What a young man might use, an older woman might not find satisfactory.

Bee Box - 10 Things To Know Before You Start Beekeeping.

9 – Know The Local Pest Management.

This is a very important part of taking a class and joining a local bee organization. Each locality has it’s unique pest problems. If I read a book or an article on Pinterest from someone in Minnesota, it may not apply to the problems, and ways of combating them, in Florida where I live.

Being able to bounce ideas off others in your area is a great advantage. You can also find out about new things that pop up and get ahead of things that might become a real problem before you would have otherwise even heard about it.

Related>> Plant Flowers That Attract Bees.

10 – What To Do With All That Honey!

Believe it or not, one of the problems of raising bees is the honey.

Extracting it is a large chore. And then what? You can make quite a lot of honey from just one hive. You probably can’t eat it all yourself. Are you going to give it away? Sell it? Make things out of it?

That is something to think about before you begin as it may change the way you keep your bees and the equipment you use. Believe it or not, this is a major reason people stop raising bees. They find they are swimming in honey and can’t give it all away.

Keep Learning

And all this I have learned at only the halfway point of the class! So take my advice. If you are thinking about raising bees contact your state or county extension service or go online to find your county’s beekeepers association to find out about a class near you. You will be glad you did.

Learn More About Beekeeping:

Natural Beekeeping: Organic approach to modern apiculture.

Beekeeping For Dummies.

The Backyard Beekeeper: An absolute beginners guide.

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13 thoughts on “10 Things To Know Before You Start Beekeeping”

  1. There’s a huge amount of bees that have been dwelling and maintaining themselves for many many years, at the of my house, from one end to the other. Occasionally a swarm will make their way to a location on the property of just over 2 acres. One day I was under my house,it’s raised 10′ with a concrete slab floor and it is where I park my lawmower,and I heard a constant buzzing, I am afraid of electricity and fire, so I immediately phoned my neighbor to check out the power sources. We discovered the buzz and it was a power source but just not electrical. A swarm about the size of a beach ball was nestled at the front wheel of my mower. Needless to say my grass wasn’t getting cut until they relocated. And sometimes in the oleanders and oak trees I will notice a swarm. But there is a bigger issue at hand. Damages. Not only did Katrina do excessive damage,but the bees,year after year, I am certain the bees have reaped their share of havoc as well. Though I haven’t seen up close,because I am afraid of almost all bugs, I don’t really know the full extent of the mess that may be up there. And since Katrina,well, those damages have been cleaned up just haven’t had the resources for repairs to be made. Basically damage on top of damage. Chronic severe, at times excruciating, gout pain gets in the way of maintenance. I don’t have much help with alot of what needs to be done around here. I’m by myself here and it’s hard. The house and property are paid off and I’m thankful for that even though many things aren’t functioning, I have a place to live. So I figure maybe raising bees could be something doable. Im not a spring chicken anymore so I guess I’ll see if this will be a venture for me and if so,maybe I can use honey money for the necessary repairs my house so desperately needs.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth,
      Wow, you touched on so much. I want to start with the gout. I also was diagnosed with gout at age 16. But I’ve learned a thing or 2 about it and now have almost no problem with it. First you need to find your triggers. Mine are the mellon family. Watermellon and cucumber are the worst. And Beans are big for me too. I cut them all out of my diet. The second thing is to take the uric acid out of my body. Sour cherries do it for me. I keep canned sour cherries and sour cherry juice in the house at all times. It will take a while to rid your body of the uric acid, but it can be done. At least it has worked for me. I haven’t had an attach in years. I hope that information helps you.
      The second thing is about keeping bees. If you want to keep bees, I suggest checking out a horizontal hive. You don’t have to lift heavy hive boxes that way. Otherwise you will not be able to work bees alone.
      Third. You need to get the bees out of your house. I strongly reccomend a professional. You could have a real problem if you leave them or if you try to do the job yourself.
      I hope that helps.

      Reply
    • Every set up is different. I acquired my set up through a beekeeping course. Do a lot of research before you begin. What I got through the course was not satisfactory for my needs and I had to sell it and start over. Check out this link for more info on beginning beekeeping. (she’s great!)https://carolinahoneybees.com/first-steps-beekeeping/

      Reply
  2. Just found your blog today. Love it-especially the ducks! I have ducks too-all rescues and the sweetest creatures ever. Glad to ‘meet’ another duck lover. Annie

    Reply

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