CHAPTER ONE
BEEKEEPING BASICS
People have been keeping bees for hundreds of years in nearly all parts of the world. The crops of honey and wax to be harvested from managed hives have always been the primary motivation for the practice, but today there are many other reasons why people choose to keep bees. Though beekeeping goals and colony size may vary, at the fundamental level, all beekeepers have similar objectives and must employ the same basic practices.
Novice beekeepers will have to address common startup issues such as finding a proper site for their new apiary, acquiring hive equipment and assembling it, sourcing bees to put in the new hive and doing everything possible to give them the best start in their new home.
With beekeeping comes great responsibilities, not only to the bees in your care, but also to your neighbors. Every beekeeper must do everything in their power to keep any disturbance from bees to a minimum, and to reassure and where possible educate their neighbors about bees.
By adopting an informed approach, what initially seems confusing and uncertain will become clear. Becoming a proficient beekeeper will take a few years, but they will be enjoyable years; as time passes, you can explore new aspects of beekeeping.
01 I don’t know how to start beekeeping
CAUSE
Basic beekeeping requirements are not technologically difficult, but to the uninitiated the biological vocabulary and hive equipment nomenclature can be intimidating.
SOLUTION
In most aspects of beekeeping, techniques and management systems vary. This can be overwhelming and confusing for the novice beekeeper. Until you become familiar with fundamental beekeeping procedures, it is best to stick to the basics. Bees are very adaptable and if the issues of bee health, queen quality, and food availability are all adequately addressed, the colony will most likely be quite successful, regardless of what hive design or management procedure is used. Start by getting informed on the following areas:
• Where to find help and support (for example, beekeeping clubs and friends, academic programs).
• Where to purchase equipment.
• Where is best to locate your hives.
• Where and when to purchase live bees.
Books on beekeeping tend to offer too much detail and too many options, so start by reading concise and friendly educational materials to familiarize yourself with beekeeping terms and the basics listed above. Online video tutorials can also be a useful resource.
The best possible source of information, however, is experienced beekeepers, so find out if there are any established beekeepers in your local community, or even better, a beekeeping club. By speaking to them you can find out about the various styles of beehives and management procedures in common use in your area.
Information about beekeeping is widely available, both in print and online, but by far the best resource is other experienced beekeepers.
02 I’m unsure when is best to start beekeeping
CAUSE
Locating a bee supplier and purchasing proper beginning equipment will take time in itself; then comes the question of what time of year is best to set up your beekeeping venture.
SOLUTION
In temperate climates, new bee colonies should be started during the warm season of the year. To survive the upcoming winter, the new colony must have time to gather and process pollen in order to build up its honey stores and population. Another option is to purchase an already established colony. These can be purchased and relocated at any time of the year.
You can start your research at any time of the year; however, beginning the decision-making phase during winter months would probably be the most practical, as this allows lead time for becoming acquainted with the craft, ordering and assembling equipment, and finding a source for live bees before spring arrives. If you wait until the spring months to begin this planning and research stage, it will most likely be too late in the year. The season will already be underway, leaving no time for ordering both equipment and bees.
A good time to make enquiries about a supply of bees is during late summer. To market their honey crops, beekeepers often have booths at farmers’ markets. They are also a good source of information. If the beekeeper has been proficient enough to acquire a honey crop, he or she will be knowledgable about the craft and how to get started.
Bees gathering pollen during the spring. In order to survive the winter, a colony must have time to gather and process enough pollen to build up the honey stores and the colony’s population.
03 I don’t know where to get my first bees
CAUSE
Most novice beekeepers are unsure how to go about procuring live bees. Reliable sources for bees and the related costs have increasingly become a challenge. Established beekeepers are also anxious to find replacement bees for winter losses and to increase their colony numbers.
SOLUTION
If you are new to beekeeping, it is worth attending bee-related events and speaking to established beekeepers about the upcoming availability of spring season bees. You can find out about such events through local beekeeping publications and associations, and blogs and forums online. In the United States, package bees are a common way to start up a beekeeping operation. Bee packages, which usually contain three pounds of bees with a newly mated queen, must be ordered in the fall for subsequent spring delivery.
The spring season is the most intensive period for acquiring bees. During this time, colonies can be initiated from nucleus colonies (a small colony of varying size with a mated queen used as a “start” and normally called a “nuc”) or other such splits from an established colony. Though rare now, established colonies sometimes become available when their owners retire from the business. You should expect to pay a high price for these producing colonies.
One of the primary challenges to the new colony and the new beekeeper is the first winter season. Bear in mind that, to survive the winter, any split, nuc, or established colony will need nectar that has been converted to honey, pollen that is stored as bee bread, young, healthy bees, and a productive queen.
A group of novice beekeepers with their instructor, inspecting a WBC bee hive at a local association apiary. By speaking to established beekeepers at bee-related events and beginner courses, you can find out about the best local sources for new bees.
04 I’m concerned that my apiary is in a poor site
CAUSE
Apiaries are sometimes placed in less than ideal locations, either because the beekeeper had no alternative, because they made a poor decision, or because the location was intended to be temporary while hiving a swarm or dividing a colony took place, but it became an established site.
SOLUTION
The ideal solution is to ensure that you select a suitable location for your apiary in the first place. When doing so, the following should be taken into account:
• In temperate climates, if water is consistently available, the hives will not suffer from being situated in the sun. In hot climates, some shade may be needed; manipulating the hives in full protective gear under the blazing sun can be hot work.
• Protection from cold winds lessens the demands on the colony during winter, helping to conserve honey stores.
• Consideration should always be shown to non-beekeeping neighbors, especially if they have children and pets.
• The apiary should be easily accessible to you, the beekeeper.
• It should be near to food sources for the bees.
However, if you have already set up your apiary and you find it to be lacking in the first three points above, modifications could help. Where sun exposure is a concern, ramadas or improvised shades can be erected around the hives; likewise, wind breaks can easily be added. Providing barriers such as fencing or shrubbery will force the bees to gain altitude as they leave the hive, taking them safely up and away from your neighbors. If the site is truly a poor one, the beehives may need to be relocated.
A commonly overlooked factor is the scenic setting. Most modern beekeepers keep bees for enjoyment and fulfillment rather than monetary gain. A scenic, placid apiary with gentle, natural sounds offers a quiet break from the typical workday schedule.
05 My new bees arrived during a cool, rainy period
CAUSE
Bee package producers normally sell their entire inventory every season. To avoid disappointment, purchasers must place orders months in advance, but the weather on the delivery date may not turn out to be conducive to releasing bees.
SOLUTION
In the rain—especially heavy rain—bees can be knocked from the air to the ground, where they will either starve or drown if they are unable to take flight in a few hours, making release during rainy weather inadvisable. If your package bees arrive on a rainy day, you can leave them in their package in a cool, dark room or basement for several days without undue harm until weather conditions improve. During this time, even though the packages have a sugar syrup supply within the cage, you should mist them with sugar syrup about twice a day. Watch for dead and dying bees on the bottom of the cage. A few hundred bees is normal, but a full mat of bees covering the cage floor about 3/4in (2cm) deep is a cause for concern; if you see this, you shouldn’t delay the bees’ release any longer.
On nice days, package bees are commonly released by simply opening the cage and shaking the bees out. If no colonies are nearby, the bees will ultimately find the hive. However, during cool weather, the package should be released slowly to prevent too many bees from taking flight. One common technique is to place an empty hive box on top of the hive body that contains frames. The package is gently opened, the queen cage positioned, and the cage laid on its side within the empty deep hive body. Without undue confusion, over the next few hours, the bees will slowly leave the package and surround the caged queen.
06 Beekeeping equipment is expensive
CAUSE
Whether you’re a novice beekeeper looking to set up your first apiary, or an established beekeeper in search of additional or replacement equipment, the cost of sourcing new materials can be very offputting.
SOLUTION
One way to minimize costs is to purchase secondhand equipment. If taking this route, it is important to first of all evaluate the physical condition of the equipment on sale: for example, look for any signs of rot, and find out whether or not the equipment was commercially manufactured. If the equipment needs repairs, these should not be extensive. Since they are inexpensive and prone to failure over time, wooden frames and combs are rarely worth recovering.
Secondly, if you already have existing equipment, will the new items blend in and be readily usable with your current setup?
The third consideration is the selling price. Having a beekeeping equipment catalog at the sale would be very handy for price estimations. How badly do you want this preowned inventory? The purchaser should have an idea of the cost of new equipment and the amount of time needed to assemble new equipment.
Fourthly, and the most important, as best you can, determine if the equipment is free of American foulbrood. Ask the seller why there are no bees in the hive. If you are suspicious, do not purchase.
If the equipment looks good, is disease-free, needs few repairs and is in the style of any equipment you are already using, and if the purchased inventory will augment your operation, make an offer near the selling price. If this is an impulse buy, only purchase it if is a true bargain. In the end, be prepared just to walk away and search again.
07 I’m not sure how to buy an established colony
CAUSE
Buying an established hive of bees can be a confusing process because there are few standardized aspects to it. The size and health of the colony, the condition of the equipment, and the season are all factors that must be considered.
SOLUTION
Purchasing an established colony is much like purchasing used equipment, but a live bee nest is included. If you are interested in the beehives primarily for the bee population, then a thorough internal examination is in order. Many states in the United States have apiary inspection services that hold disease inspection records. Varroa and other diseases and pest infestations should make the purchaser wary, but above all American foulbrood (AFB) is the key issue to be on the alert for when buying and selling bees. Be familiar with the appearance of AFB (see Problem 69) or ask someone who is acquainted with the disease to go along with you when shopping for an established hive.
In spring, a good beehive will cost more than it would in late summer. This is because with the difficult winter season already passed, and if headed by a prolific queen, a surplus of honey is logically expected.
The condition and quality of the woodenware is, of course, an issue, but it not as important as the health of the colony. A surplus honey crop can be produced or multiple splits can be taken from the strong colony. That potential makes the value of a few bee boxes and related equipment a minor concern. But everything is a variable. If you don’t already own equipment, the state of the hive components will be more of a consideration for you.
These hives were put on the market by a retiring beekeeper. The colonies were strong and had been kept in a healthy condition, but the equipment was a mix of commercial and home-produced. The honey crop contained in the supers added to the selling price.
08 My nextdoor neighbors are afraid of bees
CAUSE
Stinging responses are a well-known attribute of most bees. Many people fear their reactions to stings will be deadly. In fact, this rarely happens, but their instinctual fear remains, even though they realize that bees are necessary for much of our food production.
SOLUTION
You should always strive to be a good beekeeping neighbor; keep your bees under control and do not try to manage too many hives. Beehives should be kept well away from boundaries and common passageways. If applicable, all zoning regulations concerning beehive locations should be followed explicitly. If hives are located on a small plot that puts the hive near to the neighbor’s property line, you should install fencing or fast-growing shrubbery approximately 6ft (1.8m) high, which will force the bees to gain altitude quickly upon leaving the hive. Placing hives around buildings will accomplish the same objective. To discourage bees from visiting nearby water sources, such as your neighbor’s pond or birdbath, a dependable, easily accessible water supply should be made available to them. Hives should primarily be manipulated at times when the neighbors are not nearby. Bee swarms, though usually gentle, are particularly frightening to inexperienced people. If at all possible, prevent swarms from departing and moving to neighboring property.
If you are doing all of the above, you will be in a good position to reassure the fearful neighbor. Never boast about stinging experiences, and when the honey crop is processed, regularly offer them the traditional honey gift. It is not just the neighbor’s concerns that should be addressed; remember to reassure any tradesmen or other visitors to yours or your neighbor’s property.
These British hives are situated next to a high wall, which will force the bees to fly upward on leaving the hives, keeping well out of the way of the neighbors.
09 Some bees were crushed during a hive examination
CAUSE
Modern beekeeping practices can result in a much larger population of bees than would normally occur in a natural nest. During active times of the year, bees will appear to boil from the hive. Repositioning frames and resetting hive bodies always results in some crushed bees.
SOLUTION
There is no practical solution that prevents all bees from being crushed or injured during a hive manipulation. Commercial beekeepers with many colonies to manipulate rarely have the luxury of quietly and gently working colonies. Regardless, all beekeepers should make all practical efforts to keep harm to a minimum. Aside from the undesirable loss of life when bees are crushed, pheromones are released that could cause the colony to be become agitated.
You can use smoke to push bees back into the colony or to send them in another direction. Heavy smoking isn’t usually required, except in a case of a populous colony, where light smoking will doubtlessly move a few bees, but not enough and not quickly enough. Keeping a large colony open too long will increase the risk of stinging and loss of control.
Brushes can be useful to a limited extent. A brush can be used to physically move bees out of the way, but bees are quickly made unhappy by being brushed around—especially with a brush made of animal hair.
As soon as you are experienced enough to work a colony without gloves, your manipulations and movements will become more precise and controlled.
A colony of this strength cannot be opened, reassembled, and closed without some bees being in the wrong place. Save as many bees as possible by using smoke and a brush when manipulating the hive.
10 My bees are aggressive toward garden machinery
CAUSE
Bees can become irritated when lawn mowing or gardening equipment is operated near the colonies, but it is usually because other factors have already caused them to go on the defensive.
SOLUTION
Bees can become defensive for a number of reasons: scarcity of food sources, the colony being at full population, and disturbance from wildlife, to name a few. Weather changes can also have an effect on the personality of a colony: for example, rainy weather could have forced an increased number of older bees to be at the hive. Once the bees are in this agitated state, they will be in no mood for putting up with a lawn mower nearby. Gasoline-powered equipment seems to be particularly offensive to bees.
When operating string trimmers, mowers, or garden-tilling equipment, particular care must be exercised. If working near the colonies, at the very least a veil should be worn and a lighted smoker should be periodically used. This would provide an escape strategy if one is needed. Raising the hives higher from the ground would provide increased mowing space. Rather than use noisy equipment, some beekeepers judiciously apply herbicides to keep hive entrances clear of vegetation.
Always keep bystanders in mind. While stinging attacks are rarely noteworthy, to the uninitiated who have no protective gear, such events can be frightening or annoying.
The beekeeper should always be protectively suited when operating garden machinery near the bee colonies, in case it provokes a hostile reaction from already defensive bees.