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RESOURCES FOR NEW BEEKEEPERS

Updated: Apr 21, 2020

For those aspiring to become a beekeeper, knowing where or how to start can be a daunting task. Most new beekeepers unfortunately fail within their first year. Much of this is due to lack of being prepared and not knowing the many resources available to a new beekeeper. The information below should provide you with many great resources that will help you in your journey to becoming a successful new beekeeper.


A word of caution. As you do your research and speak to various beekeepers, you need to keep one thing in mind. There are very few facts in beekeeping. Most methods and choices of equipment are based on opinions. With the high level of passion within this hobby, it is easy for some beekeepers to get carried away when stating their opinions. It is important for new beekeepers to seek the opinions of many beekeepers and, most importantly, seek their own path as their experience level rises.


I will continue to update this page as topics of importance come to mind. So be sure to check back from time to time.








Facebook is a great place to network with beekeepers, both locally and Nationally, through the various groups. We have personally joined several local and National beekeeping groups on Facebook. It is a great way to access many various perspectives on a given subject. If you are in Arizona, I highly suggest joining the Arizona Backyard Beekeepers group on Facebook. That group has a large community of members of varying levels of experience. Those members are always eager to give guidance to new beekeepers.


One of the most valuable resources for a new beekeeper is locating a mentor in your local area. Most experienced beekeepers enjoy sharing their passion with others. Molding a new beekeeper and seeing them get a strong start is very gratifying. This is another great reason to join local Facebook beekeeping groups as that is the easiest way to get in contact with a local mentor.











Another excellent resource for learning about the various topics of beekeeping is good 'ol YouTube. There are countless YouTube channels dedicated to beekeeping. Listed below are a few of my favorites. Some of these channels are geared more towards doing removals, some are mostly for brand new beekeepers while others cover more advanced topics along with commercial beekeeping. Take a moment and look through a few videos of each of these listed channels. Don't forget to "Like" and "Subscribe" to the ones that you enjoy to show your support.





BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES


Beekeeping supplies can be purchased through many different companies. It is important to know that pricing and quality varies from supplier to supplier. Also keep in mind that while one company may have better pricing on one item, another company may have better pricing on other items. Another thing to consider is that most suppliers offer discounted or free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount. Many offer free shipping on orders of $100 or more. Shipping costs can be fairly expensive with bee equipment so it is best to order many items at once. To save even further, there is usually price discounting on larger quantity orders of the same item. For example, frames cost less per unit if you order 100 of them versus 10 of them. Listed below are the few companies that I typically use.



QUEEN PRODUCERS













At some point, you will need to purchase a queen. This will be either to replace a queen for one reason or another or to expand your apiary by making splits. There are countless queen producers available but it is important to know which producers are reliable, use good shipping methods and provide quality queens. The following list is of queen producers that either I or fellow beekeepers have used with good success. Keep in mind, availability is time of year dependent and, unfortunately, many queen producers fill large commercial orders first. Also, some queen producers require a minimum queen order so they are excluded from this list as they do not fulfill the needs of a small scale beekeeper. So you will need to do your own research into each company to see if they can fulfill your needs.


Lappe's Bee Supply: https://www.lappesbeesupply.com



FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


There are many various questions new or aspiring beekeepers have, especially during their first year. Most of these questions get repeated from time to time in the various groups I participate in. Below is a list of the most commonly asked questions (or scenarios) and my answer to them. Keep in mind I said MY answer to them, as it is just that. My answers are largely opinion based so it is up to you to do your own research.


I would like to move my hive to a different location on my property. How do I do that?

There is an old saying on this subject: "You can move a hive 3 feet or 3 miles, nothing in between." That saying has different variations depending on who you hear it from, but all the variations mean the same thing. What is trying to be explained is that if you move a colony a short distance, like 40 feet, there will be issues with the foraging bees from that colony returning to their old location. So moving a colony to a different location on the same property can be challenging. However, there are a few solutions that can help with a successful move. Keep in mind the following about how bees locate their home. One method is visual guidance from local landmarks. Once they get close enough to home, they start to recognize various structures like a tree, a rock pile, a wash, etc. However, they also have an "internal GPS" so to speak. This is what allows them to travel so far, many times 2+ miles, away from home in search of food and water sources. If you move the colony many miles away, the bees can "feel" that they have changed locations. They will then orient to their new location. This move much further away can be very temporary. Most of the time after 3-4 days you can successfully move the colony back to your property. However, this is not always the option for many beekeepers who may not have access to a location off of their own property. Another method of making the move is to simply move the colony a few feet each day. The bees will return to their old location but recognize that their home is shifted slightly over. An additional option is to lock the bees up for a few day by completely closing the entrance. Keep in mind, this method can be very risky. You need to make sure the temperature is appropriate to do so. A closed off hive can die very quickly in the summer heat. Furthermore, this method is best used with a screened bottom board to still allow for ventilation. The final method of making the short move is to slightly block the entrance using brush or branches. You want the blockage to make it very difficult, but not impossible, for the bees to exit and enter the hive. So this means lots of branches and brush tucked in tightly against the hive entrance.


How do I provide water to my bees? Bees, like all other creatures, need a reliable and clean water source. This can be a challenge as you cannot simply place a dog's water dish out as the bees will likely drown. The bees need something to land on to safely access that water. This could be in the form of wine corks, large and small rocks, branches, etc. As long as the objects reach above and below the water level. The container size does not really matter, as long as the container always has enough water.


I noticed wax moths in my hive, what is the best way to deal with them? Wax moths are typically an underlying issue from a weakened colony for one reason or another. This weakness could be from a recent swarming event, mite overload or other issue. However, wax moths are typically only prevalent when there are too few of bees and too much unprotected comb. Regardless of the underlying issue, you will need to give the bees less comb to protect. In my opinion, the best method for doing this is to shrink the colony down to a smaller size of hive. If they were originally in two 10 frame deeps, take one deep away. If they were originally in a single 10 frame deep, place them into a 5 frame nuc. Simply put, take away some of the comb. While doing so, check each and every frame and only leave in the colony the comb in the best condition. The comb that you take away can be placed into the freezer to kill any existing wax moths or their larvae. After a couple days in the freezer, that comb can be further cleaned using a low pressure water or air hose then placed into a strong colony to fully clean.



I got a swarm (or package) of bees. What is the best method for making sure they stay? The reason I mention packages in this question is that it is a very similar situation. It is a situation where it is only bees and no other resources such as comb. These situations can be very challenging, especially for a new beekeeper with no other colonies. You see, if you have other colonies you can pull a frame of open brood and a frame of food (honey and pollen) from another colony to provide to this brand new colony. That alone is typically enough to get a brand new colony to stay. However, if you have no other colonies and all brand new equipment, it is challenging because bees typically do not like unused equipment. There are a few other methods of "anchoring" these new bees to your equipment. If you happen to locate the queen (far easier of a situation for a package) you can keep her caged, even in a queen clip, for a few days inside the hive. By the time you release her it is likely the colony has started to build comb and decided to make it their home. If you can't locate the queen, you can place a queen excluder between the bottom board and the bottom of the hive body. This allows the foraging bees to enter and exit the hive while preventing the queen from leaving. However, this is not fool proof as some queens, especially in swarms, can be small enough to squeeze through the excluder. So, you can also keep them completely locked up for a couple days. Keep in mind though this can be very risky, especially in the heat. So keep them in the shade and use a screened bottom board if you can. Only use this method in cooler weather. The above issues is why it is highly recommended that new beekeepers purchase a nuc or starter colony instead of a package until they have further colonies to pull resources from.


How do I prepare my hives for the summer heat? The summer heat, especially here in Arizona, can be brutal on bees. I know this from first hand experience as I had several colonies melt down during an especially hot summer. It got so hot that the bees couldn't handle it causing the comb to get soft, fall and release all the honey. This typically blocks the entrance causing further issues and eventually the bees perish from the situation. Trust me, it is a heartbreaking sight. However, I learned a few things from the trauma. Firstly, most of my colonies that melted down were fairly new splits so they had a small population. Each colony only had 2-3 frames of bees in a 5 frame nuc. Larger colonies with a stronger population deal with the heat much easier. Also, I had not yet gotten around to "propping the tops" on my colonies. What I mean by this is placing a small item, like a rock or stick, between the cover and the hive body. This creates a small gap at the top to allow the rising heat to escape. Also, I use screened bottom boards on all of my colonies. Now, at first glance this might seem like a good thing for dealing with heat. However, a valid point was brought up to me by a far more experienced beekeeper. First of all, heat rises. So if the area under the colony is hotter than the temp within the colony, the rising heat will be allowed to enter through the bottom of the colony. Also, bees use a few methods to cool their hive. As they collect water, they deposit it on the inside surfaces of the hive. They then fan their wings at the entrance to create a breeze. In a sense, they are creating a natural swamp cooler. A screened bottom board can make this very challenging for the bees. To continue on with your heat prep, make sure your equipment is painted light colors. Furthermore, place them in the shade. Full time shade can be difficult to find so focus on shading them from the western and southern sun. Lastly, provide them with plenty of water. See above for how to do so.


What paint should I use on my hive equipment? The answer to this question is actually fairly simple, whatever is cheapest. Now there are some guidelines here. It is best to use quality outdoor paint that is light in color. However, paint choice is not something that needs to be dwelled over. Many times you can find sufficient paint for a good price in the "oops" section of your local paint supplier or hardware store. After selecting the paint, simply apply a few good coats and you are good to go. Especially here in Arizona, paint does not have to be reapplied that often on equipment. It is likely that the paint will outlast the structural integrity of the equipment itself.


What about using the Flow Hive? This topic comes up a lot on the various groups. Keep in mind, I have never personally used one so all of what I am about to discuss is through second hand knowledge. The Flow Hive was an ingenious design that brought new interest and exposure to the hobby of beekeeping. I can't be mad at that at all. However, I think it is misunderstood. Many new beekeepers believe the Flow Hive alleviates the many aspects and process of beekeeping. Quoted from their website at the time of this writing: "Flow Hive is a revolutionary beehive invention, harvest fresh honey without opening your beehive and minimal disturbance to the bees." This statement is misleading and only partially true. First and foremost, you still need to do regular inspections of the hive. This means opening the hive and going through it frame by frame. The Flow Hive website also states: "Through the clear end-frame view, you can see when the honey is ready without opening up the hive." This again is a misleading statement. Granted, most of the time the outside frames and the outside edges of the frames are the last to be filled and capped, but there are no guarantees in beekeeping. This means it is best to also remove every honey frame prior to harvesting to make certain they are ready. I have also heard complaints about the difficulty of getting bees to initially use the Flow frames. Bees do not like plastic so until the frames have been used and coated with their smell, the bees are hesitant fill them. So with that being said, what is the true benefit of the Flow Hive? The answer: one less piece of equipment.....the honey extractor. If you are a small time beekeeper with just a few hives, I think the Flow Hive would be an acceptable piece of equipment for you with the above kept in mind.


How many hives should I keep? At minimum, two. There are a few reasons for this. Especially as a new beekeeper, it can be challenging to judge the progress and health of a honey bee colony without another one to compare it to. Also, problems arise. One colony may be short on overall numbers. One colony may be short on food stores. One colony may go queenless and fail to requeen themselves when queens for purchase are unavailable. Having additional colonies to pull resources from helps with all of these scenarios. You can simply take a frame of whatever is needed from a strong colony and give it to the colony in need. Many beekeepers "even out" their colonies at different times throughout the year by swapping frames back and forth. So if you are a new beekeeper, it is best to start with at least two colonies, but more if you can.


I think my bees are swarming, how can I tell? Another common topic started by new beekeepers is an abundance of activity at the entrance of the hive with the fear of it being a swarming event. Most of those situations end up being normal orientation flights by a healthy and thriving colony. For those that do not know about orientation flights, I will explain. As bees get older, they "graduate" to a new role within the colony. One of their last roles is that of a foraging bee. This is due to the fact that being a foraging bee exposes that bee to the most hazards and has a higher risk of not returning home. When bees graduate to become a foraging bee, they need to learn how to return home. This is through the use of orientation flights. The very first flights of a forage bee are short distance, typically within a few feet of the colony. They simply exit the colony, fly a few feet away and begin flying in various circles. All the while they are seeing what their home looks like from different angles. Keep in mind that the queen is an egg laying machine. What this means is that there will likely be hundreds of new foragers at the same time. These orientation flights, typically in the later afternoon, will consist of hundreds of bees exiting the colony at the same time. After a few moments of circling around, they will begin to return home. Swarming, however, is drastically different looking if you know what you are looking for. This event will display many, many more bees leaving at once with very few bees returning to the colony. It will appear as though a chemical has been dumped into the hive and they have decided to "abandon ship" so to speak. This video from Barnyard Bees shows an up close look at a swarming event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASphTRxbQ3U&t=106s


What do I need to know about feeding my bees sugar syrup? Sugar syrup is a substitute for flower nectar and is the carbohydrate source for the colony. Sugar syrup is generally used in two different "recipes", 1:1 and 2:1. This ratio is referencing sugar:water. Keep in mind this ratio is based on weight, not by volume. Generally speaking, the 1:1 ratio is used for spring and summer buildup. It is typically believed that this "light syrup" assists in getting the queen laying eggs again after slowing down during the winter. Contrastly, the 2:1 syrup, or "heavy syrup", is typically used in the late summer/fall/winter time frame. This ratio is more close in consistency to natural honey. During the cooler months it can be more difficult for the bees to dehydrate the light syrup enough to store it as "honey". By using a thicker mixture with less water, it makes it easier on the bees to prepare it to be stored. Now earlier I mentioned the various syrups are mixed by weight, not by volume. This means for the 1:1 ratio you mix one pound of water per one pound of sugar. Luckily enough, sugar and water have a close enough weight by volume that it does not really matter in small batches. So, you can actually measure by volume (one cup water per one cup of sugar) and the bees will use it just fine. As far as methods for feeding sugar syrup, well there are several. There are entrance feeders, top feeders, frame feeders and open feeding. Due to the lengthy topic on pros and cons of each style, that will be a conversation for another day.


What do I need to know about feeding my bees pollen substitute? Pollen substitute, understandably enough, substitutes the natural pollen that bees collect. Pollen makes up the protein source for the bees to raise their young. One of the best ways, in my opinion, to boost colony population prior to the nectar flow is to increase their pollen intake. There are generally two types of pollen substitute, pollen patties and dry pollen. Dry pollen, which is the consistency of flour, is typically "open fed". Open feeding pollen is just a matter of placing the dry pollen out in a location that bees have access to it. Bees will locate it and begin to "dab" into the pile of dry pollen. While doing so, the pollen collects on their legs and the hair of their body. The bees then begin to push the pollen back to their pollen baskets on their rear legs, just as they would with natural pollen. There are several methods for open feeding dry pollen. For one method, I discuss it fully in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XRyxiJ_-RQ Now pollen patties are a different method of providing pollen all together. These pollen patties are about the consistency of bread dough. They are typically flattened between two sheets of wax or parchment paper. These pollen patties are then placed on top of the top bars of the frames of a hive. The bees chew through the paper to access the pollen patty and consume it from there. There are several recipes for making your own pollen patties from dry pollen substitute as well. As far as what brand of pollen substitute, my personal choice is Ultra Bee through Mann Lake. However, that is just a personal choice. Finally, there is a way to feed natural pollen to your bees. You can "trap" pollen using one of the many available pollen traps on the market. These pollen traps vary in design but the general premise is that the bees are required to enter through the traps and squeeze through gates, forcing some of the pollen off their legs into a tray below. Again, this is a topic of lengthy discussion so it is a conversation for another day.


I can't find my queen, is my hive queenless? Spotting the queen can be very challenging at times, especially for new beekeepers. It definitely takes some practice and experience. Knowing how to spot a queen can be difficult to explain so I will try my best. When I am looking for the queen, I do not look at each bee to determine if that bee is the queen. Instead, I look at the overall behavior of the bees on the particular frame I am inspecting. I also look at the condition of the frame itself. If the frame is capped honey on both sides, it is unlikely (but not impossible) for the queen to be there. I say not impossible because the queen can at times be found in any location of the hive. However, it is much more likely you will find her near eggs towards the middle of the colony where the brood nest is typically maintained. As I begin to see eggs I start looking at the behavior of the bees on that frame. As the queen moves, the worker bees typically move out of her way. I call it "leaving a path of destruction". You will notice a short path behind the queen as the workers move out of her way and then eventually fill in the empty space behind her. The queen actually moves with some grace. She seems to calmly walk around, occasionally poking her head in a cell to see if it is empty to lay an egg. Now, there is a bit of a caveat here. Newer queens generally are a little more panicky. As they age and gain more experience, their demeanor calms down. Even with these clues, it can still be challenging to locate the queen. As mentioned before, it is not entirely unusual for her to be on the bottom board or an inner side wall of the hive. So, do not fret if you do not find her. Keep in mind that eggs hatch into larva after three days. If you do not locate your queen on an inspection, go back into the hive a week later and check for eggs. If you find eggs in the hive then you know there has been a queen in that colony within the last three days.


I don't want to collect honey, I just want the bees to pollinate my garden. The short answer to this, pass on being a beekeeper. Beekeeping is a lot of work and requires a lot of time and energy. It also requires being heavily involved with your bees and this means collecting honey from time to time. Bees naturally grow the size of their colony and with this growth they store more and more surplus honey. If you do not fully manage the hive, which includes collecting surplus honey, the bees will swarm. If you would like bees just to pollinate your garden then you should look into solitary bees such as Mason Bees or Leafcutter Bees. There are actually specially designed hives for these solitary bees that do not require management by a beekeeper. Alternatively, you can reach out to local beekeepers who may be looking for a new area to place a couple hives.

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