Beekeeping is fun and rewarding, but it’s easy to get information overload when starting out.
That’s why we created this free beginner’s guide to beekeeping.
Dive into a treasure trove of practical advice, facts, figures, and handy links.
Please consult your local authorities before getting started beekeeping. Understanding the legal and regulatory requirements of keeping bees where you live is essential.
Why take up beekeeping?
Most people dive into this hobby because they love bees, honey, or both! But there are many reasons to start beekeeping; here are some of them:
Discover more reasons to take up beekeeping here.
Costs to start beekeeping
Starting on a tight budget, beginners might anticipate initial startup expenses of $420 during their first year. This figure considers essentials such as tools, safety gear, a bee colony, and consumable supplies like smoker fuel and sugar.
Premium extras like beekeeping courses and insurance could increase this outlay to $1,440.
| Description | Low Estimate (USD) | High Estimate (USD) |
| Beekeeping education | $0 | $100 |
| Tools and bee suit | $95 | $320 |
| 10-frame hive | $125 | $200 |
| Hive stand | $0 | $50 |
| Bee package or nuc | $150 | $250 |
| Consumables | $50 | $100 |
| Administrative costs | $0 | $420 |
| Total | $420 | $1,440 |
We based these estimates on surveying leading U.S. online beekeeping suppliers.
To get started on the cheap, find second-hand equipment and join a local beekeeping club. You’ll get access to free knowledge and may be able to hire expensive equipment for minimal cost.
We recommend that budget-conscious beekeepers only buy the essentials. Some tools, like honey extractors, are optional from the outset. Get more ideas for starting beekeeping on a shoestring here.
Where do I place a hive?
Bees are adaptable and can forage over long distances. However, an optimal environment will enhance their foraging efficiency and decrease the need for supplemental feeding.
Consider the health and productivity of the colony when selecting the right spot for a beehive.
Ideal placement includes a level, well-drained area close to water and floral sources. Protection from wind and excessive sun will also help your new colony.
- Always review local beekeeping regulations before making any decisions.
- Consider the hive’s proximity to neighbors, pets, children, and public spaces.
- Communicate with neighbors before introducing bees to ensure they’re on board with your new hobby.
- Correct placement will help protect your bees from predators and the risk of theft.
How many hives to get started?
Two or three hives is a good starting point for beginners. This number is manageable for a learner and provides a safety net if one colony fails.
Starting with one hive is cheap and easy to operate. However, it comes with the risk of losing everything if the colony doesn’t survive.
Multiple hives let beekeepers transfer bees and other resources between them. Spotting potential issues by comparing hive progress is another helpful benefit.
The number of hives a new beekeeper can manage is influenced by various factors. Take into account available time, proximity to the hives, and physical capacity. Other considerations include commitment level, goals of the bee yard, and budget.
Learn more about how many hives it takes to get started here.
What do beekeepers do?
During inspections, a beekeeper ensures the health and productivity of the bee colony. These tasks include:
- Checking on the queen: ensure she is present and healthy, laying eggs. Sometimes, the queen may not be directly spotted, so evidence of new eggs or brood indicate she’s still working. Marking the queen makes it easier to spot her next time.
- Observing the colony: bee behavior provides insights into the colony’s health. For example, aggressive or lethargic behavior may indicate problems.
- Examining brood patterns: the pattern and health of the brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) are checked. A healthy colony will have a solid brood pattern with few gaps.
- Monitoring food stores: check the levels of honey and pollen stored in the combs to ensure the colony has enough food. This is especially important going into winter or during periods of nectar scarcity.
- Assessing hive health: look for signs of diseases like foulbrood or pests like Varroa mites, wax moths, and small hive beetles. Early detection may be critical to managing these threats effectively.
- Evaluating hive space: the beekeeper ensures the hive has space for the colony to grow. Adding supers or splitting the hive may be necessary to prevent swarming.
- Noting unusual issues: any other unusual findings, such as signs of pesticide poisoning or abnormal bee deaths are noted for further action.
After the inspection, beekeepers may replace the queen if she’s under-performing. Other tasks include treating for pests, adding or removing boxes, fixing hive components, and splitting or combining hives.
Inspections are helpful for preventing hive issues from escalating. But there’s a balance that comes with experience. Each hive visit is not well received by the colony and typically sets their progress back.
Read more about how to inspect hives here.
How do I get bees?
New beekeepers can get bees for their hives through various methods. Each has its advantages and challenges.
Purchasing a nucleus (nuc) is a popular choice. Short for nucleus colony, this is a small bee colony created from an existing hive. It typically consists of a queen, a few thousand worker bees, and frames with brood and food used to start or strengthen other hives.
A bee package is a small, screened box containing around 2 to 4 pounds of worker bees. A separate queen bee is also used to establish a new bee colony or replenish an existing hive. A package of bees is popular for beginners due to their accessibility and relative ease of integration into new hives.
A bee nuc is deal for beginners or those looking to establish a hive quickly. Nucs contain a functioning mini-colony with a laying queen, brood, and workers. Since the colony is already established, nucs typically lead to a stronger hive earlier in the season.
Bee packages are more economical and may offer more flexibility of queen selection. They’re a good option for experienced beekeepers or those looking to replace lost colonies.
Packages require more time and effort to establish. The hive needs to acclimate to their new queen and build comb and brood from scratch.
Not sure which is best? Check out our comparison of bee packages and nucs.
Buying an established colony is another approach. The bees hit the ground running as the colony is established. However, it typically requires more expertise to ensure the health of the bees. Get some help from an experienced beekeeper during this stage.
Each method requires careful consideration of factors such as the beekeeper’s experience level, the health and genetics of the bees, and the logistics of introducing new bees to an apiary.
More experienced beekeepers might consider expanding their apiaries by capturing swarms or splitting existing hives. These are both cost-effective strategies that can leverage the strengths of established colonies.
Attracting a bee swarm
Attracting a bee swarm to a new hive can be cost-effective for beekeepers to expand their apiary and enhance its genetic diversity.
Useful methods include utilizing old brood comb, propolis, sugar-water feeding stations, Nasonov pheromones, or lemongrass essential oil to entice scout bees.
Placing the swarm trap is crucial, ideally mimicking a natural hive environment by hanging it at 12-15 feet. Place it in a visible, shaded location.
While attracting swarms offers benefits like strong colony genetics, it also carries risks such as potential disease or aggressive bee behavior.
For those new to beekeeping, purchasing their first bees is advisable. Swarm-trapping skills will develop over time.
Learn more about bee swarms here.
Types of hives
This section looks at some common hive designs used in most beekeeping countries.
1. Langstroth hive
The Langstroth hive has been the preferred choice for beekeepers for over 150 years. Its design is simple, versatile, and cost-effective. The hive is used globally and is excellent for beginners learning about beekeeping.
A Langstroth hive features modular boxes stacked vertically, allowing for expansion as the bee colony grows. Wooden boxes hold frames for bees to build comb for housing brood and honey.
The hive includes a small front entrance, a bottom board, an inner cover, and a top cover for additional functionality.
Advantages of the Langstroth include ease of expansion, abundant learning resources, compatibility with various equipment, structural stability, lower cost, and easy management of brood and food stores.
Disadvantages include aesthetics, challenging inspections due to stacked boxes, heavy lifting when full, and the need for storage space for equipment.
The Langstroth hive was invented by Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth in 1851. It was revolutionary for its movable frames and a design that reduced the likelihood of bees sealing spaces with propolis.
Additional reading: Dimensions of a Langstroth hive.
2. Top bar hive
Top bar hives are an age-old beekeeping design that gained popularity in the 1960s. These hives feature a horizontal box with top bars, allowing bees to build comb naturally without frames or foundations. It offers a natural and bee-friendly approach.
TB hives are cheaper and make inspections and honey harvesting easier. However, they yield less honey and can’t be expanded like vertical hives. Other drawbacks include non-standardized parts and fragile comb, particularly in hot climates.
3. Layens hive
The Layens hive was created by George de Layens in the 19th century. It has a horizontal design that aligns with bees’ natural nesting habits.
The hive holds about 20 deep frames, allowing bees to expand their nest sideways. Beekeepers appreciate its simplicity and minimal maintenance.
The Layens design supports a large brood area and ample storage. It is beneficial in colder climates and reduces the need for heavy lifting, which is ideal for beekeepers with physical constraints.
4. Warre hive
The Warre hive, developed by Abbé Émile Warré, is designed to copy bees’ natural nesting conditions. The “People’s Hive” features vertically stacked, square boxes with top bars, allowing bees to build their own comb.
Its distinctive quilt box can be filled with insulating materials and topped with a vented roof. This feature helps regulate moisture and temperature.
The Warre allows a minimalistic beekeeping approach and supports natural bee behavior with less intervention. Its design will appeal to natural beekeepers.
5. Flow hive
A Flow Hive is a modern, innovative beehive design. It allows beekeepers to harvest honey with minimal disturbance to the bees.
This invention features a patented honey extraction technology where the honeycomb frames consist of partially formed plastic cells.
When the honey is ready to harvest, a lever is turned, causing the cells to split vertically. The honey flows down the frame and out of the hive through a tap.
Beekeepers can use jars or containers to collect liquid honey straight from the hive.
The Flow Hive simplifies honey extraction, making it more accessible for beginner beekeepers. It incorporates elements of traditional beekeeping by using Langstroth-style frames that support bee space and hive management practices.
6. Apimaye hive
The Apimaye hive is a plastic beehive known for its durability and designed to enhance bee health and honey production. The hive has excellent insulative properties, making it highly effective in extreme weather conditions.
Its modular design includes built-in feeders and varroa screens, simplifying hive management.
Which hive should I choose?
Take your time buying your first hive. Consider factors such as local climate, available time for hive management, and ability to lift woodenware.
Traditional Langstroth hives, with their stackable design, might suit those looking for scalability and familiarity, as they are the most commonly used.
However, someone interested in more sustainable, hands-off beekeeping might lean towards the Layens or Warre hives, which mimic bees’ natural living conditions.
For those in colder climates or with physical limitations, the horizontal design of a Layens hive or the insulated Apimaye hives can offer significant advantages regarding warmth retention and ease of access.
Ultimately, the choice should align with the beekeeper’s goals, budget, and personal preferences.
Check out our article on the types of hives, which lays out the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Equipment requirements
Let’s review some of the protective gear and tools you’ll use as a beekeeper.
1. Beekeeping suit
All beginner beekeepers should invest in quality protective gear that’ll keep them safe.
A beekeeping suit is a protective garment that shields beekeepers from stings while managing hives. It typically covers the entire body, including arms and legs, and is made from light-colored materials that reflect the heat.
The suit usually features a zippered veil or hood that protects the face and neck while providing visibility and ventilation.
Elastic cuffs at the wrists and ankles and a zippered front help ensure that bees cannot enter the suit.
Beekeeping suits are essential to beekeeping gear, especially for beginners. First-timers around bees are often a little nervous, which bees detect and can cause them to become more aggressive.
Suits are also ideal for beekeepers of any experience level dealing with aggressive bee colonies.
Recommended reading:
- Comparison of beekeeping jacket and suit.
- How do I wash a bee suit?
- How to make a beekeeping suit.
- Tips for using beekeeping suits.
2. Bee smoker
A bee smoker is a must-have tool in the beekeeper’s tool kit. It calms honey bees during hive inspections and other tasks.
Bee smokers consist of a metal container with a nozzle, bellows, and sometimes a heat shield. The container contains smoldering materials, such as wood chips, pine needles, or cardboard, which produce smoke when the bellows are squeezed.
Smoke generated by a bee smoker interferes with their alarm pheromones that get released when threatened. As a result, the bees become less aggressive and more docile, allowing beekeepers to work with the hive safely.
The smoker also encourages bees to consume honey, which further pacifies them. Bees with full stomachs are less likely to sting.
Extra reading:
3. Hive tool
A hive tool is an indispensable tool for beekeepers, designed to assist with various tasks. It is typically a flat, metal instrument resembling a small pry bar.
The tool comes in multiple shapes and sizes tailored to specific functions within the hive.
The primary functions of a hive tool include prying apart hive components that the bees’ propolis has glued together. It also scrapes excess propolis or wax from the frames and hive bodies and lifts frames out of the hive for inspection.
4. Capping spinner
A cappings spinner is a device used to improve beekeeping efficiency. It recovers honey and wax from the thin layer of wax cappings that beekeepers remove from honeycomb frames during honey extraction.
This tool helps maximize honey yield and collect more wax for various uses.
5. Honey Extractor
A honey extractor is a mechanical device used to extract honey from honeycombs without damaging them.
A popular design works by utilizing centrifugal force, spinning the honey out of the frames where it can then be collected and processed.
Suggested reading:
- Discover our recommended honey extractors here.
- You can learn more about how to use a honey extractor here.
- Get our advice of how to clean a honey extractor.
Practical alternatives to honey extractors
Honey extractors are expensive and may be unsuitable for certain hive types like Warre and Top Bar. Below are some practical alternatives suitable for different situations.
- Crush and strain method: is loved for its simplicity and low cost, but it destroys the comb.
- Cut comb approach: offers an aesthetically pleasing way to present honey, though it also leads to comb destruction.
- Gravity method: despite its slow process, the gravity method keeps the comb intact, making it a good choice for small-scale beekeepers.
- Chunk honey: is often used for its rustic appeal, combining liquid honey with a piece of comb.
- Honey press: efficiently extracts honey without leaving much waste.
- Flow hives: allow honey flow with the turn of a knob and minimal disturbance to the bees, though it comes with a higher initial investment.
- Ross rounds: make the honey look good and are easy of use, with the downside being the cost of specialist frames.
- Sous vide technique: offers a modern approach to honey extraction, requiring careful temperature control to preserve the honey’s raw qualities.
Each method presents a set of advantages and challenges. Get the details on alternatives to honey extractors here.
More reading about extractors:
6. Honey refractometer
A honey refractometer is a tool used by beekeepers and honey producers to measure the moisture content of honey.
Maintaining the correct moisture content is crucial for the quality and preservation of honey. Honey with too high a moisture content can ferment and spoil. A honey refractometer ensures that honey is harvested at the optimal time and meets quality standards.
Suggested reading:
- What are our suggested honey refractometers?
- How to use honey refractometers.
- Honey refractometer tips.
7. Frame Grips
Frame grips, or frame lifters, are beekeeping tools that securely handle beehive frames. They facilitate the easy lifting and inspection of frames.
This tool has a scissor-like design with a clamping mechanism for gripping frames, making working with hives quicker and easier.
8. Bee vacuum
A bee vacuum collects the bees but is gentle enough to prevent injury. It is a specialized tool beekeepers and removal experts use to collect bees from a hive safely. It is often used for relocating a colony or removing an unwanted swarm from a public area.
The bee vacuum operates much like a standard vacuum cleaner, only less intensely. It is designed to gently suck the bees into a holding container without harming them.
What Is A Honey House?
Hobbyist beekeepers might consider extracting honey indoors, often leading to messes and stray bees inside the home. A honey house is more ideal, offering a place to process, store, and package honey and repair hive equipment.
The house has many benefits, including protection, efficiency, storage, and regulatory compliance. It also provides work-life separation and hygiene for beekeeping activities.
However, the costs, regulations, and logistics of building and maintaining a honey house can be considerable.
When planning a honey house, essential items include a sink, electrical supply, honey extractor, tables, buckets, fans, scales, and tools for handling honeycombs.
Beekeeping starter kits
A beekeeping starter kit typically includes the basic equipment and supplies needed for someone new to beekeeping to begin their journey.
They may include a hive, hive tools for opening and inspecting the hive, a bee smoker to calm the bees during hive inspections, protective gear like a bee suit or jacket, gloves, and sometimes a beekeeping veil.
Some kits may also include a beginner’s guide to beekeeping, beeswax foundation sheets for the frames, and a feeder for feeding the bees sugar syrup when nectar is scarce.
There is a wide range of options, so check out our recommended beekeeping starter kits for beginners.
Honey bees
An understanding of the science behind honey bees is useful knowledge. This section looks at bee anatomy, bee roles within a hive, and much more.
Anatomy
The anatomy of a honey bee includes a head with compound eyes and antennae and a thorax connected to wings and legs.
The abdomen houses vital organs for digestion and reproduction and a stinger in females. Their bodies are also covered with fine hairs that assist in pollen collection.
Lifecycle
The honey bee lifecycle comprises four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The entire process from egg to adult typically spans 21 days for workers, 16 for queens, and 24 for drones.
This short development cycle is crucial for the colony’s growth and the replenishment of its members.
Hive construction
Honey bees make hives by constructing a series of vertical wax combs. Their home is crafted using wax secreted by special glands in their abdomen. Comb consists of hexagonal cells that store honey, pollen and baby bees.
Other articles about the honey bee:
- A guide to bee flight.
- Bee vision 101.
- How do antennae work?
- How bees sting.
- Longest stinger comparison.
- What is the waggle dance?
- Beeswax guide.
The roles in a bee colony
A colony of bees is made up of a queen, female workers, and males drones.
1. The queen
A queen bee is the sole egg-laying female in a bee colony, responsible for producing all the hive’s offspring.
Her longer body size and extended lifespan distinguish her from the other hive members. The queen is crucial for the colony’s health and continuity.
Related reading:
- Queen bee roles in the hive.
- What is a queen cup?
- How to spot a queen in the hive.
- How is a queen bee created?
- How to detect a hive with no queen.
2. Workers
Female worker bees perform the lion’s share of the work in a colony. They spend their days foraging for nectar and pollen, caring for the queen and brood, and maintaining the cleanliness and structure of the hive.
This bee caste has more jobs, which you can learn about in our guide to the worker bee.
3. Drones
Drones are male bees whose primary role is to mate with a virgin queen. They play a vital part in contributing to the genetic diversity of future bee generations.
Drones have no stinger and do not participate in nectar and pollen gathering or other hive duties. Once they mate, they typically die immediately after.
Threats to honey bees
Honey bees face many threats that impact their health and survival, including:
Pesticides: Chemicals used in agriculture and landscaping can be toxic to bees, affecting their ability to navigate, forage, and reproduce.
Parasites and diseases: The varroa mite is a harmful parasite that attaches to honey bees and spreads viruses. Diseases like American Foulbrood and Nosema also pose significant risks.
Habitat loss: Urbanization and intensive farming reduce the availability of diverse flowering plants bees need for nutrition.
Climate change: Altered weather patterns and extreme weather events can disrupt bees’ foraging patterns and the availability of food sources.
Invasive species: Non-native plants, pests, and predators can compete with or directly harm bees. For example, the Asian hornet preys on honey bees.
Poor beekeeping practices: Overuse of chemicals in hives, inadequate management of bee health, and transportation of colonies can stress bee populations.
These threats can interact and compound. For example, inadequate forage can weaken the colony, making it susceptible to disease and pest invasion.
List of pests and threats
Honey
Worker bees make honey by collecting nectar from flowers and then converting it through regurgitation and evaporation inside the hive. They ingest the nectar, which is then broken down into simple sugars and stored in the honeycomb.
Bees fan the nectar inside the hive with their wings to evaporate its water content until it thickens into honey. The sweet liquid is then sealed with a wax cap for storage.
A single honey bee produces approximately 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. It doesn’t sound much, but an entire colony works together to create significant amounts.
Pollination
Bees transfer pollen between flowers through a process called pollination.
As bees move from flower to flower collecting nectar, pollen grains from the flower’s male reproductive organ (anther) stick to the bees’ hairy bodies.
When the bee visits more flowers, some grains brush off onto the female reproductive part (stigma). This simple process leads to fertilization and the production of seeds.
Bee breeds
Various bee breeds or races live across the world. While you’re likely to get Italian bees from local suppliers, it’s good to understand how they all differ.
Keep in mind, the descriptions below are general. For example, Italian bees are typically gentle, but don’t count on it.
Learn more about the seven honey bee breeds here.
| Breed | Description | Link |
| Italian | Subspecies of Western honey bee. Popular, gentle, hard-working, prolific queen. | Italian. |
| Carniolan | Subspecies of Western honey bee. Popular, early foragers, docile, frugal honey users. | Carniolan. |
| Cordovan | Hybrid. Docile, early spring builders, low swarm tendency. | Cordovan. |
| Buckfast | Hybrid bee. Tolerate cold, gentle, high tracheal mite resistance. | Buckfast. |
| Africanized | Hybrid. Highly aggressive, not suitable for beekeeping. | Africanized. |
| Russian | Hybrid bee. Good varroa mite resistance, excellent for overwintering. | Russian. |
| Caucasian | Subspecies of Western honey bee. Gentle, good in cold climates, make a lot of honey. | Caucasian. |
What are the seven bee families?
What are seven bee families?
Commonly asked questions
Should I become a beekeeper?
Before jumping in, take some time to decide if beekeeping is right for you. We strongly advise keeping bees if you’re just after honey. It’d be cheaper and much easier to visit a local farmer’s market to get some there.
It’s not easy to make a living off beekeeping, and it certainly won’t happen in the first year. If you’re just after a money-making idea, there are easier ways. You can make some cash on the side but don’t expect a quick-get-rich opportunity.
If you have bee allergies, you’re taking serious health risks, and other hobbies would be better.
Consider the space available where you live; urban homes are much more restricted than those living on the farm. You could try approaching nearby farmers, who may open their land to beekeepers.
You’ll need to have time to look after your bees. Set aside about half an hour each week, allowing for more activity in the warmer months.
What is honey bee washboarding?
Honey bee washboarding is a behavior where bees move back and forth in a scrubbing motion on the surfaces of their hive, resembling the action of washing on a washboard. The exact purpose of this activity is not fully understood, but some scientists believe it could be related to hive cleaning.
What is bee festooning?
Bee festooning is a behavior exhibited by honey bees where they hang together, leg to leg, in chains or clusters to build new wax combs or repair existing ones. This chain formation allows them to measure and construct the precise hexagonal cells that make up the honeycomb structure.
Do beekeepers get stung?
Beekeepers can get stung by honey bees, even when taking precautions and wearing protective gear. Persistent, aggressive bees sometimes find a way to reach human skin no matter how well protected.
Who are the most influential beekeepers?
Lorenzo Langstroth is one of the most influential beekeepers in history. Known as the “Father of American Beekeeping,” he revolutionized beekeeping in the 19th century by inventing the Langstroth hive.
Another notable figure was Brother Adam (Karl Kehrle), who developed the Buckfast bee. It was more resilient than other native bee breeds in England at the time.
You can learn more about beekeepers who made an impact here.
Why is there no honey in my hive?
Several reasons can contribute to the absence of honey in a hive, ranging from environmental factors to colony health issues.
Poor weather conditions can limit bees’ foraging opportunities, leading to insufficient nectar collection. A lack of diverse flowering plants nearby can also result in inadequate food sources for the bees.
Colonies struggle to produce honey if they’re fighting off diseases and pests or have queen problems. Insufficient space for honey storage within the hive can also inhibit their ability to store surplus honey.
Get more advice on why hives don’t have excess honey here.
How do I feed bees
Granulated sugar, simple syrup, or a pollen substitute can sustain a hungry colony for weeks.
When feeding a struggling hive honey, use spare resources from disease-free hives in the bee yard. Honey from external sources like grocery stores or other beekeepers could bring infections into your hive.
Some beekeepers also maintain a stash of dark or lower-quality honey for emergencies. When feeding bees, placing the food inside the hive is advisable to minimize the risk of attracting robber bees from neighboring colonies.
Need to provide more forage for your hives? Check out these resources:
Honey Bees
Get some fascinating insight into the life of bees, how colonies work, and how their bodies function.
How To Skills
Get the skills you need to become a beekeeper. Learn how to attract bees, how to use a smoker, and more.
Equipment
We take a close look at what equipment you’ll need and which brands are best for you.
More useful resources
We’ve compiled some of our favorite sites where you can get more information about beekeeping.
There are too many local websites to mention here, but remember to search for your nearest clubs and government organizations. It’s important to understand what you can and can’t do where you live.