Beekeeping is on our homestead goals for this year and we’re going to do it! We’ve been reading and researching about getting started the last few months but it was all pretty overwhelming at first. Learning about beekeeping is a daunting task! There are so many things to know and it can’t be learned by reading just one article. You have to buy the right equipment, tools, bee boxes, and order bees. The thought of producing our own honey inspired this goal, but we had no idea getting started in beekeeping was so daunting!
We asked some fellow bee keepers for advice on how to get started and have embarked on our beekeeping journey. We’re sharing this advice in case it might inspire you to become a beekeeper too!
Beekeeping for Beginners: Tips on How to Get Started
1. Find a local class. This was the number one piece of advice we were given from a multitude of bee keepers. The majority of folks we talked to said that participating in a class will give you a hands on education. A lot of communities have local beekeeping groups that are a wealth of information and support. Here’s a list created by Bee Culture: The Magazine of American Beekeeping that lists beekeeping organizations by state. We were able to connect with a local group. They directed us to an upcoming low-cost class and guided us to a regional beekeeping supply company to place our order for bees.
3. Find a mentor. This is another highly recommended step when getting started. A lot of folks said that having a mentor to continually guide you in beekeeping is quite helpful. Some folks said they were able to meet a mentor through their local group. Others asked around and found a beekeeper willing to teach them the art of raising honey bees. Unlike a short term class, having a mentor provides ongoing learning and you can always reference them with questions.
3. Read articles on beekeeping. There is a wealth of information on the internet about being a bee keeper. Here are a few links to articles we found helpful:
- Beginning Beekeeping from The American Beekeeping Federation
- Getting Started Beekeeping from Common Sense Homesteading
- How to Prepare for Beekeeping from Homestead Lady
- Honey Bees- Hive Management by Better Hens and Gardens
- Beekeeping by Schneider Peeps
You can also follow our Beekeeping Pinterest board where we’re continually pinning new articles we find on anything and everything about beekeeping!
4. Read books on beekeeping. Some other beekeepers recommended several books they found helpful when they were learning. These are in our shopping cart to purchase when we place our next Amazon order:
- The Backyard Beekeeper- An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden
- Top-Bar Beekeeping: Organic Practices for Honeybee Health
- Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture
Beekeeping for beginners can be pretty daunting but don’t let it stop you from doing it! All this wise advice given to us from fellow beekeepers made a difference. We’re now connected with a local beekeeping group. My husband is signed up for a class that starts in a few weeks. The most exciting part? We ordered bees! There’s no turning back for us now. We have until May to prepare for them. We’ll continue sharing about our adventures in beekeeping so stay tuned!
Are you a beekeeper? Do you have any tips to share?
*This post contains affiliate links
Amber
February 14, 2014 at 6:22 amI don’t have any tips to share, but this is a helpful post. Thanks for sharing all those resources. I know many people who would like to get started in beekeeping. I’ll be sure to send them your way! 🙂
Annie
February 15, 2014 at 8:23 amThanks Amber! We’re hoping this info will be helpful to some other folks who are just starting out too
Angi
February 14, 2014 at 7:07 amThanks for including us in your suggested blogs. My 16yo son is the beekeeper in our family and it’s been an amazing endevor for him. It’s grown from just keeping one hive because “bees are cool” to 7 hives plus a live bee removal business and honey selling business.
Another book I read that convicted me even more that the survival of bees depends on small backyard beekeepers is The Beekeepers Lament.
Annie
February 15, 2014 at 8:25 amI love that your son has developed such a love for beekeeping- that is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing that other book to check out. I’m going to add that to our book list to buy from Amazon!
Erin @ Natural Wonderer
February 14, 2014 at 1:19 pmBees are on my ‘to-do’ list, too. There is definitely a lot to learn, though! One of my neighbors has bees, so I am planning on picking his brain and hopefully learning from him. Thanks for sharing these resources. 🙂
Annie
February 15, 2014 at 8:26 amThat’s wonderful you have a neighbor you can talk to about beekeeping! We’re hoping to connect with some more local folks to learn from too.
janetpesaturo
February 15, 2014 at 7:05 pmThanks for sharing this on Pistachio Project. Bee keeping is on my wish list. It’s one of those things that seems like it won’t be time consuming once it is up and running, but getting started looks time consuming, and maybe expensive.
Annie
February 15, 2014 at 8:13 pmI totally agree, getting started is a bit time consuming and a bit expensive! We actually sat down and calculated how much money we spent on honey in a year since we use that instead of sugar as a sweetener. It made financial sense for us in the long run to make the investment in beekeeping. Plus we figure if we have extra we can always sell it!
Christine @ Once Upon a Time in a Bed of Wildflowers
February 18, 2014 at 10:02 amThis is a great post!
We live in the city… so raising animals, except for bees and chickens is completely out of the question. And… I’m a little afraid of bees.
You don’t have to tell me I’m being silly! 😉
But I know my husband would rather have bees than chickens, so we’ll be checking out these resources very carefully!
~ Christine
Caitlin | The Siren's Tale
February 25, 2014 at 2:56 pmThis is extremely helpful as a prospective beekeeper! Thanks 🙂
Bec's Bee Hive
October 28, 2016 at 2:00 amThanks for the resources, helps a lot! I’ve been into hobby beekeeping for years now and my family’s involved as well. Just this summer though, I’m starting some beekeeping courses, totally surprised by the amount of interest out there for beekeeping these days, a lot of people seem to be taking it up as a hobby. I don’t know if that is more so the case here in Australia or just in general, but its great.