1. General questions
Will I get stung if I keep bees?
Yes, stings are definitely a part of keeping bees. But it is most always the beekeeper’s fault...honeybees are non-aggressive and do not sting just to sting. If proper protective clothing is worn (veil, gloves, loose fitting/light colored clothing), stings will likely be none at all to very few at each inspection (and typically occur from accidentally pinching a bee while manipulating the boxes and frames). Honeybees seem to become agitated by strong odors (researchers think the odors may interfere with their pheromones). Applying cologne, perfume, hand creams, and recently washing hair/body are not advised just prior to inspecting a hive.
A personal antidote: I typically receive about 20 stings a season (late April-late October) in the course of inspecting my hives every 7-10 days and I keep multiple hives. Over the past 13 years I have also developed a tolerance to the venom and barely, if at all, get a reaction from a sting.
Why do we need honeybees?
Approximately 1/3 of all the food we eat is dependent on these amazing pollinators. Due to their biology and behavior they are amazingly efficient and proficient cross pollinators. Honeybees are covered in fine hair that collect pollen granules as they forage. Some of the granules fall off as they bound from flower to flower, causing pollination. They are "flower specific," meaning they only visit blooms of the same type on any given foraging trip. For example, all clover or all goldenrod blooms on any given trip. This allows for pollen of like flowers to be transferred from bloom to bloom, resulting in pollination.
Where do I get bees and a queen bee?
A few reputable US commercial bee suppliers distribute packages of bees to local suppliers around the country. A new hive is started with a 3-pound package of bees containing ~10,000 worker bees and a mated queen bee. If at anytime during the season a beekeeper determines their hive is not queen right, a new queen may be purchased and introduced to the hive. Experienced beekeepers can expand their number of hives by splitting strong hives and by capturing swarms.
What is the sex of the different honeybees in a hive?
The vast majority of bees in a colony are female, and are called Workers. They are the bees seen on flowers and flying in and out of a hive. There are only a couple hundred males bees in a colony and they are called Drones. The queen bee is female. When the queen bee lays an egg she either fertilizes it or she doesn't. A fertilized egg develops into a female worker bee. If she does not fertilize the egg it develops into a male drone. In regions where there are extended periods of cold winter months, bee colonies become 100% female. Starting in early fall the worker bees round up all the drones and remove them from the hive. Drones only mate with queen bees, that is their only purpose. They do not produce wax, build comb, forage, make honey, clean the hive, tend to brood, or do any other tasks to maintain the colony. So in the winter, when the bees are doing their best to hunker down and keep warm and ration their honey reserves, the drones are dead weight and therefore are expelled from the hive.
What is required in a hive inspection?
Timing: Backyard Beekeepers need to plan to inspect their hives every 7-10 days. Weather and personal commitments will interfere with all best intentions. Planning on every 7 days will give a buffer to account for rain and an unexpected busy personal schedule. Starting with getting the smoker lit and tool/equipment prep through conducting the inspection and cleanup, 1 hour is needed. (Hive inspections require 1 hour every 7-10 days.)
Tools/equipment: A lit smoker (that gives off a cool, billowy, white smoke), hive tool, veil, gloves, light-colored pants (loose fitting), notebook and pen, additional deep box with frames (or super with frames) depending on point on the season.
Inspection To-Do List: As a MINIMUM, the presence of the queen MUST be determined at every inspection either by seeing the queen or seeing brood in the egg stage (NOT larva stage). These other tasks should be done every inspection as well (but determining the hive is "queen-right" is first and foremost): pulling out and inspecting every frame, inspecting for 7/10 frames drawn out with honeycomb (indicates time to add the next box), inspecting the frames for brood in all 3 stages (egg, larva, and capped pupa), inspecting the location of the brood nest (should be lower center of the frames and on the innermost 6 or so frames in the center of the box), inspecting for rainbow pattern of honey on the frames, inspecting for packed pollen (bee bread), observing the movement of the bees on the frames (should be calm and remain on the frames), looking for bee communication activities (waggle dance, figure-8 dance, bees sharing nectar), inspecting for supercedure and/or swarm cells, inspection for hive pests (Small Hive Beetles, wax moths, excessive ants, varroa mites), scraping off burr comb and excess propolis buildup on frame topbars and inside boxes.
Above is the technical approach to hive inspection. As a Backyard Beekeeper becomes more comfortable and well-versed in the process of hive inspections, they will go about their inspections with a more holistic approach:
From Jack . . . a HoneyBee School Instructor . . .
When inspecting my bees I look, smell, and listen in the hive. If I pay attention the bees have a lot to tell me. The light-colored wax capped cells along the top are filled with honey (each hexagon of comb is called a cell) and the rougher, paper-like, beige cappings are covering incubating brood. Stored honey along the top with brood cells in the center of the frame is a good pattern. Bees need to keep the brood cells near the frame center where it is easier for them to maintain the ~ 96 degrees for brood rearing. I should see bees performing various tasks such as cleaning empty cells (look for bee butts sticking up out of a cell), feeding larvae, completing cappings, and performing waggle and figure-8 dances (their way to communicate the locations of plentiful bloom sources). A healthy hive has a distinct scent. It is mild and pleasant. Any pungent or unpleasant scent is a red flag. The bees should be quiet with just a low humming from their collective buzzing and they should stay calmly on the frame and not fly away in a frenzy. When bees are quietly buzzing and calmly going about their business they are content and healthy bees.
What is a superceder cell?
A supercedure cell is a cell made by the worker bees in preparation for raising a queen bee. Different from a swarm cell, the workers make the supercedure cell when they determine the queen is weak or unproductive. It seems many colonies make supercedure cells as "just in case" insurance and end up just breaking them down and not rearing a new queen at all. Supercedure cells are most always located on the top 2/3 of a frame.
Is it easy to start keeping bees?
Backyard beekeeping is a hobby anyone can do! Almost all of the startup cost is a one-time cost, and there are ways to recoup some of the cost by selling honey and wax products. Other than any potential city ordinances and/or disagreeable neighbors, there really aren't many limiting factors on who can keep bees or where they can be kept. A wanna-be beekeeper just needs a place to put a hive and they can be off and running their own apiary.
It helps if a wanna-be beekeeper has a good sense of adventure, a lot of grit, the ability to persevere, a mind that can improvise and be creative, and is generally a gregarious type of person. Beekeeping is an outdoor hobby, stings will happen, and the hive boxes can get quite heavy (45+ pounds). Inspecting a hive can become strenuous when temperatures are warm. Maneuvering and manipulating the hive requires a fair amount of physical strength.
Is beekeeping for me?
First ask yourself a few questions to see if beekeeping is really for you: are you outdoorsy, a bit industrious, someone who enjoys gardening, are you interested in sustainability activities, would you mind getting stung, are you generally curious about nature, are you patient and attentive to detail? If you answer yes to most of these you would likely enjoy keeping bees.
If you harvest honey how do the bees not starve?
Backyard Beekeepers with hives located in regions with cold winters never take any honey from the 2 bottom deep boxes. The ~90 pounds of honey in those 2 boxes are the winter food stores for the colony (honeybees will make and store about 45 pounds of honey in each deep box, along with packed pollen, for their winter reserves). Beekeepers in warmer regions can leave just one deep super for winter (although new beekeepers in warm regions are encouraged to leave 2 deep supers for winter their first year of keeping bees). Beekeepers only take honey from the medium honey super boxes that get stacked on top of the deep boxes during the course of the season. That “excess” honey is for the beekeeper to harvest for bottling or to save to feed back to the bees in early spring.
I have found a swarm of bees, what should I do?
Although it looks scary, a swarm of bees is actually very docile and gentle. A swarm occurs when a queen bee leaves her original hive with about 1/2 of the bees in search of a new home. The swarm no longer has honey or brood (developing bees) to protect so they have no reason to be even the slightest bit aggressive. They hang on tree limbs or roof eaves to rest while on their journey to their new home. An experienced beekeeper could "rescue" the swarm. Check with your police and fire departments to see if they have the contact info for a beekeeper in your area. Or search the internet for a local beekeeping association, they may have members who can help.
How many hives should I start with my first season?
One hive is best and plenty for a new beekeeper to manage. Some argue 2 hives are better because a beekeeper can compare the 2 and borrow resources from one for the other. However, first year beekeepers typically do not have the knowledge and experience to use a second hive to their advantage, nor to make knowledgeable comparisons that will help them in their first year. It is best to just understand the ins and outs of beekeeping with just one hive for a season, then the sky is the limit after that.
How can HoneyBee School get me started in backyard beekeeping?
HoneyBee School and Supply helps those who want to become a backyard beekeeper but don’t know where to begin. We offer a complete beekeeping starter kit for beginners.
This backyard beehive startup kit is our flagship offering. Everything an aspiring beekeeper (with no experience) needs for the first season. This course/package provides 1) backyard beehive starter kit – the equipment/gear needed for a successful first season 2) your honeybees with mated queen 3) detailed instruction/tutorials in video format that teach beginning beekeeping in a step-by-step way 4) live support for the first season.
You will learn the critical basics for a new backyard beekeeper – equipment, installation, inspections, hive maintenance, etc.
Your beekeeping starter kit with bees includes:
- HoneyBee School Beginner’s Equipment Kit: All woodenware for a single Langstroth Hive (screened bottom board, 2 deep super boxes w/ 10 frames each and 1 honey medium super box with 10 frames, inner cover, and telescoping outer cover), hive tool, veil hood/jacket combo, leather protective gloves, smoker, wax bar, shims, front hive feeder, mouse guard, and pest treatments with application tools. All the “stuff” needed for the first season
- Package of live honeybees: A 3-pound package of 3-Banded Italian or Carniolan bees containing approximately 10,000 worker bees and a mated queen bee (delivered in the spring)
- Virtual instruction with detailed master class: 60+ well-organized modules; material always available in virtual classroom for your pace and timing
- Live coaching and support from a 13-year+ experienced instructor: regular, live, optional Q&A sessions, throughout the first season, help forums, etc.
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FAQs to understand if this beekeeping startup kit is right for you
How are you able to cut grass and weeds? Does mowing disturb the bees ?
Honeybees tend to be irritated by loud noise and intense vibration, so it is good practice to not run a lawnmower close to a hive. Often beekeepers just used hand clippers to trim grass in a 4-5' radius around the hive. However, on bright sunny days the bees seem to tolerate a fast pass by the hive with a lawnmower. But definitely don’t linger and wear a veil!
Do honeybees displace the native, natural bee population?
Research shows honeybees do not displace native bees. The honeybee was introduced to North America in the 1600s, so as a country we have developed a farming and food industry dependent on the pollinating habits of honeybees. Research shows honeybees and native bees coexist well. There are over 4000 species of native bees. The majority of those are solitary bees and are crucial to pollination as well (as are bats, moths, butterflies, beetles, hummingbirds). The main reason researchers conclude native bees and honeybees coexist well is they have different foraging behaviors. Honeybees prefer flower dense locations in which to forage (and flowers of the same type of plant, ex: a large field of clover or an apple orchard). Whereas, native bees tend not to be as particular and will forage on flowers that are on the fringes of fields and sparsely scattered in an area. These different foraging habits compliment each other and result in a larger number and area of blooms being pollinated. Studies show a higher yield of fruit from fruit farms where native and honeybees are both present to pollinate.
2. Is beekeeping for me?
Will I get stung?
Yes, stings are a part of beekeeping. However, honeybees are not aggressive, and stings are almost always the result of an error made by the beekeeper. Wearing protective clothing such a veil, long sleeve shirt, and pants (some beekeepers also choose to wear gloves) can help minimize stings.
Will I get stung if I keep bees?
Yes, stings are definitely a part of keeping bees. But it is most always the beekeeper’s fault...honeybees are non-aggressive and do not sting just to sting. If proper protective clothing is worn (veil, gloves, loose fitting/light colored clothing), stings will likely be none at all to very few at each inspection (and typically occur from accidentally pinching a bee while manipulating the boxes and frames). Honeybees seem to become agitated by strong odors (researchers think the odors may interfere with their pheromones). Applying cologne, perfume, hand creams, and recently washing hair/body are not advised just prior to inspecting a hive.
A personal antidote: I typically receive about 20 stings a season (late April-late October) in the course of inspecting my hives every 7-10 days and I keep multiple hives. Over the past 13 years I have also developed a tolerance to the venom and barely, if at all, get a reaction from a sting.
What is the overall financial investment the first season of beekeeping?
Aside from the cost of HoneyBee School kit, you can expect to purchase several pounds of granulated sugar to make the syrup you will feed your bees in the early spring. If your hive is exceptionally robust you could potentially need to purchase additional honey supers, honey extraction equipment, and honey jars (keep in mind you can sell honey you extract from your hive to recoup some of the initial start-up cost).
What can I do if I want to keep bees but worry my neighbors may protest?
Best practice is to first determine if your city/town has any local ordinances around keeping bees. City ordinances can be accessed online at most city hall websites. If there are ordinances you must comply and following the regulations. If there are not then you are likely able to keep bees on your property as long as you use common sense. Pick a location on your property that is both optimal for the bees yet least intrusive to neighbors (consider line of sight from a neighbor's point of view). Be knowledgeable and positive when sharing information about honeybees. Most people fear bees because they group them together with hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets which are aggressive by nature. Politely educate neighbors and always give them a free jar of honey after harvest!
Is it easy to start keeping bees?
Backyard beekeeping is a hobby anyone can do! Almost all of the startup cost is a one-time cost, and there are ways to recoup some of the cost by selling honey and wax products. Other than any potential city ordinances and/or disagreeable neighbors, there really aren't many limiting factors on who can keep bees or where they can be kept. A wanna-be beekeeper just needs a place to put a hive and they can be off and running their own apiary.
It helps if a wanna-be beekeeper has a good sense of adventure, a lot of grit, the ability to persevere, a mind that can improvise and be creative, and is generally a gregarious type of person. Beekeeping is an outdoor hobby, stings will happen, and the hive boxes can get quite heavy (45+ pounds). Inspecting a hive can become strenuous when temperatures are warm. Maneuvering and manipulating the hive requires a fair amount of physical strength.
Is beekeeping for me?
First ask yourself a few questions to see if beekeeping is really for you: are you outdoorsy, a bit industrious, someone who enjoys gardening, are you interested in sustainability activities, would you mind getting stung, are you generally curious about nature, are you patient and attentive to detail? If you answer yes to most of these you would likely enjoy keeping bees.
3. Location Questions
What is the best location for my hive?
There is not one perfect location for a beehive. You will take a few factors into consideration. Bees need approximately 6 feet of clearance in front of their hive to gain 6 feet of elevation as they exit the hive on foraging flights. So you should consider walkways, patios, playsets, etc. The front entrance should get direct sunlight by 10am. The hive should also be in a convenient location for you to inspect it.
What can I do if I want to keep bees but worry my neighbors may protest?
Best practice is to first determine if your city/town has any local ordinances around keeping bees. City ordinances can be accessed online at most city hall websites. If there are ordinances you must comply and following the regulations. If there are not then you are likely able to keep bees on your property as long as you use common sense. Pick a location on your property that is both optimal for the bees yet least intrusive to neighbors (consider line of sight from a neighbor's point of view). Be knowledgeable and positive when sharing information about honeybees. Most people fear bees because they group them together with hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets which are aggressive by nature. Politely educate neighbors and always give them a free jar of honey after harvest!
What are the laws/ordinances on keeping bees on my property?
Some cities/towns/townships address backyard beekeeping in their by-laws/ordinances. If addressed, you must abide by the regulations. Otherwise, go ahead with your plans to establish an apiary, just ensure you are considerate of your neighbors.
We have mosquito sprayers in our county. Would this eliminate the possibility of bees here?
There’s lots of debate about this, it’s really hard to say. Is the spraying done by aircraft (like on crops) or by a truck? If by truck your hive would likely receive minimal residue spray if it is in your backyard. Does the spraying occur in the early morning or late evening? Bees are typically in the hive during these times and would be ok from the spraying. The real problem with mosquito spray is we cannot control where the bees will go to forage. If they forage in a flower dense area that recently received the pesticide they will carry the poison back to their hive where it gets spread exponentially by the normal activity inside the colony. This ultimately leads to death of the hive.
I live in bear country, can I still keep bees?
Yes, but you will need to install an electric fence around your hive and keep it active year round. Once a bear has been allowed to pillage your hive you will not be able to keep it away.
How much land do I need to keep a hive?
Honeybees will fly up to 5 miles from their hive to find nectar and pollen sources, so all you need to provide is a space for the hive. Urban beekeepers place hives on rooftops or balconies. Large plots are not necessary to keep bees.
How do I decide where to locate the hive on my property?
Honeybees are motivated to start foraging by direct sunlight hitting the front entrance of their hive by mid-morning, and then continued sunlight on the hive for most of the day. Some speckled shade from sparse tree foliage is ok for few hours, but too much shade tends to cause extremely high Small Hive Beetle populations which is harmful to the hive. The front entrance should face slightly southeast to block from northerly winds. The hive should not be placed in a high-traffic area (for example, in the middle of a backyard where kids will be playing). For ease of inspections, a beekeeper needs to have easy and free access to at least 3 sides of the hive, including the front and back.
Can you keep bees in a urban type setting?
Yes, I’ve lived in both rural and urban areas and have kept bees in both. Check with neighbors to be considerate and make sure the bees have a clearance of about 10’ in front of their hive to come and go without causing any trouble. Bees exit the hive, hover around the front of it for several seconds to orient themselves to its location, then they take off for the field. This flight pattern requires a clear path for them to fly up and out from the hive. Some cities/towns have ordinances concerning beekeeping.
Can I keep bees if I live in a region of the US with summer temps well above 100 degrees?
Honeybees are quite skilled at managing temperatures in their hive. However, Africanized Honeybees are in the southwest region of the US, where temps/climate is similar to their native origin. These bees slowly infiltrate and take over a hive, changing the temperament of the colony to highly aggressive. Keeping bees is still possible, just with mindful management (replacing the queen 4-5 times a year).
4. Byproducts/Honey/Extraction
What would happen to the bees if I didn’t extract the honey?
During the season a Backyard Beekeeper "keeps" their bees by helping the honeybees manage the hive. This is primarily done by adding additional boxes to "grow" the colony. To overwinter the honeybees only need the bottom 2 boxes (which hold about 90 pounds of honey and pollen). Any additional boxes (called supers) on top of the bottom two will contain excess honey the beekeeper can extract. If the supers are left on for the winter the hive would be too large for the bees to maintain proper temperature for the queen in the colder months (essentially too much space to heat). Also, since the population of a winter hive is significantly smaller than a summer hive, the bees would have a harder time defending their honey (opportunist insects are always trying to get in and get some of the honey!).
If you harvest honey how do the bees not starve?
Backyard Beekeepers with hives located in regions with cold winters never take any honey from the 2 bottom deep boxes. The ~90 pounds of honey in those 2 boxes are the winter food stores for the colony (honeybees will make and store about 45 pounds of honey in each deep box, along with packed pollen, for their winter reserves). Beekeepers in warmer regions can leave just one deep super for winter (although new beekeepers in warm regions are encouraged to leave 2 deep supers for winter their first year of keeping bees). Beekeepers only take honey from the medium honey super boxes that get stacked on top of the deep boxes during the course of the season. That “excess” honey is for the beekeeper to harvest for bottling or to save to feed back to the bees in early spring.
