Success comes from good planning—picking the right location, sourcing healthy bees, and supporting the hive with strong queens, good forage, and smart management.
Starting a beehive and taking care of it is a lot of fun. It’s all exciting, from unpacking your new beekeeping suit to pouring (yes, pouring) your new bees into your hive. One of the first steps in starting a beehive is acquiring package bees, which are a convenient way to introduce bees to your new hive.
Beekeeping can be challenging, and we will discuss that later, but it is the most rewarding hobby I’ve ever taken part in. Whether your goal is to harvest lots of honey or simply provide a place for honey bees to flourish, taking care of honeybees has something to offer you.
Beekeeping for beginners, however, is unlike some other hobbies, where you can jump into it blindly; beekeeping requires some basic education to ensure you get off to the right start. As a beginning beekeeper, it is important to seek guidance, start with a manageable number of hives, and consider sourcing your bees from a local apiary to ensure healthy colonies and support local beekeepers.
This knowledge will ensure a better experience for you. Your bees and you are in the right place to learn the basics without being overwhelmed.
Getting started in beekeeping means learning the basics, choosing the right equipment, and starting with manageable hives so your bees stay healthy.
Understanding bee behavior, hive roles, and seasonal routines helps beginners care for colonies through inspections, feeding, and proper setup.
Table of Contents
The Three Types Of Honeybees You See In A Hive Will I Get Stung? How Beekeeping Works What Beekeepers Do Beekeeping 101 What Beekeeping Equipment Do I Need? When Do I Start Beekeeping? What Do The Bees Need From Me? Setting Up the Apiary Apiary Location Tips The Role of Honey Bee Queens Honey Plants Beekeeping Throughout The Year Beekeeping In The Spring Beekeeping In The Summer Beekeeping In The Fall Beekeeping In The Winter What About Harvesting Honey? Insights into Honey Production What Is The Worst Part Of Beekeeping?
The Three Types Of Honeybees You See In A Hive
The queen bee, responsible for laying eggs and strutting her stuff.
The drone (male) bee is responsible for mating with other queens.
The female worker bee, the hero of the hive, does most of the work.
Will I Get Stung?
So yes. It will happen, and you will get better at “dealing” with it. Getting stung is just part of it, and it happens occasionally, but not every time you open the hive. It should actually happen rarely. Not all bee stings are created equal, which is something that I didn't realize before getting my own bees. Sometimes, the bees really get their stinger in you with venom, and other times, it's just a tiny scrape of the stinger.
Oddly enough, a lot of my stings happen when I'm in a rush, and I can't predict when I'm more or less likely to get stung. As I mentioned before, it's better to work with the bees than against them.
How Beekeeping Works
Beekeeping has been around a long time, but we aren’t going to talk about this history (because that’s boring), but it has certainly changed over the years.
What started as people raiding wild hives for honey has transformed into a highly managed process with removable frames and hives that are easy to transport. Choosing the right hive style, such as a Langstroth or top-bar hive, is important for beginners, as using a common and local hive style can make it easier to find equipment and support.
Modern beekeeping also involves the use of a brood box, which is essential for managing the brood and ensuring the colony’s growth. New beekeepers may also consider starting with a nucleus hive, a small starter beehive containing a few frames of bees, brood, and a queen, which can help establish a healthy colony more efficiently.
Honeybees are still wild, even when under the care of a beekeeper, and can’t be domesticated like a horse or dog can. So, the beekeeper has to work with the bees, which makes beekeeping as much of an art as a science.
What Beekeepers Do
Beekeepers work inside this established structure and help to take care of their bees by providing what they need to survive and prosper. For most beekeepers, keeping bees involves checking in on the status of colonies and intervening as necessary.
One important task is introducing a caged queen to a new hive, ensuring she is accepted by the worker bees.
Some of the regular activities beekeepers do with their bees include hive inspection, which involves carefully opening the hive to observe brood, check hive conditions, and ensure the colony is healthy. This intervention can also be adding or removing equipment, giving them sugar water, collecting swarms who exit their hives, and harvesting honey (can’t forget that one).
Taking care of bees is more like taking care of a garden than it is like taking care of chickens. A beehive doesn’t require daily tending, and beekeepers don’t need to let their bees out and put them up each day.
They do require a careful eye to make sure they have what they need, like when a tomato plant needs more support to keep it from falling over.
And just like a garden, honeybees follow the seasons, with more work required during the spring and summer and much less during the winter.
Beekeeping 101
This post is part of our 5 part ultimate guide series on getting started in beekeeping and answering the most common questions we get from beekeepers who want to start their own hive. These are our most popular posts among people interested in becoming a beekeeper, so if this is you, be sure to check out all 5 posts.
What Beekeeping Equipment Do I Need?
This is one of the most popular questions we are asked because it can be confusing. Here is the good news: you don’t need all of it. Here is some more good news: you don’t need it right now. We sell various equipment and it’s our bread and butter, but right now, the specifics don’t really matter. Here is the short list of what you would need so tuck it in the back of your mind.
Protective Gear – Beekeeping Suit or Jacket and Gloves
Hive Tool – For prying beekeeping equipment apart
Smoker – Because you look cool (and also, it’s essential for opening up a hive)
Beehive – Lots of options here; more on that later
Proper management of the brood nest is crucial for the health and growth of the colony.
Of course, you probably will need more than this, but these really are the essentials. There are way, way more products you don’t need than you actually do. Read our Master Guide on Beekeeping Equipment.
I’m an honest teacher and don’t want to pull punches, so I’ll be real. Successfully taking care of honeybees can be difficult at times. They aren’t exactly a pet that can provide food and water and expect to be fine.
Beekeepers can do everything right, and sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. There are pests and issues that affect bees that are completely out of your control that you just have to learn to workaround.
The benefits of being a beekeeper, however, outweigh the negatives. The experience of opening a hive up for the first time and tasting honey from your own hive is unlike any other.
Regardless of your beekeeping goals, it’s important to be prepared to keep bees and understand what is involved.
When Do I Start Beekeeping?
Most beekeepers actually start their hives during March, April, and May. Those are the ideal months for most of the US to start a beehive. Starting a hive early in the year is best because it gives the bees enough time to build up the resources they need to survive the winter. The later in the year you start a hive, the harder it will be for the bees to survive the winter. This is because the bees need to store enough honey prior to winter in order to eat during the winter.
There are always exceptions, like in sub-tropical areas where there isn’t much of a winter to consider. In these areas, the bees are able to be supported and fed year-round until established. You aren’t able to do this in much of the US, which is why it’s best to start early in the year.
Though starting early in the year is best, preparation starts months before. Finding the right spot for the hives, taking classes, buying equipment, assembling equipment, etc… are all important activities that start before you ever start the hive.
When we started our hives, we found it very helpful to look at pictures of other people’s hives to see how they set them up. Keep in mind that the way a beekeeper sets up their equipment will change according to the time of the year, the local climate, and where they live. You can certainly look at their hive stands and all the different ways to paint the boxes.
For the best results, consider connecting with a local beekeeper who can provide advice and support tailored to your region.
What Do The Bees Need From Me?
You might wonder what you actually need to do with the honey bee colony. It’s pretty common to think you just put bees in the box, let them do their thing, and come back later for the honey. Unfortunately, it’s not quite like that.
Some of the regular activities beekeepers do with their bees is to open the hive and look at the progress inside the hive.
Honeybees are self-sufficient day-to-day but usually need tending every 1-3 weeks during the spring and summer.
This means checking the queen and her egg-laying, noticing how much pollen and honey they are storing, reducing the impact of pests, and adding or removing equipment.
It's also important to check the amount of honey stored to ensure the colony has enough reserves for survival. Honey stores are a key indicator of colony health and should be monitored regularly.
When natural nectar sources are low, feeding sugar syrup can help supplement the bees' food supply and support colony growth. Fortunately, colonies and beekeepers both gain momentum as time goes on and build on previous years. So, year 2 for the beekeeper and their bees is a little easier than the 1st year. Nucleus colonies can also be a valuable resource for beginners starting their first hive.
Setting Up the Apiary
Setting up your apiary is one of the most important steps in successful beekeeping. A well-chosen location and thoughtful layout can make all the difference in the health and productivity of your honey bee colonies.
Start by picking a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, as honey bees thrive in warm, bright environments. Make sure your apiary is sheltered from strong winds and has easy access to a clean water source—bees need water just as much as nectar!
When arranging your hives, leave enough space between each one to allow for easy access during inspections and to help prevent the spread of disease.
Good air circulation and proper drainage are essential, so avoid low-lying, damp areas. It’s also wise to protect your apiary from curious animals and potential predators by installing a sturdy fence or natural barrier.
Connecting with a local beekeeping association can be incredibly helpful at this stage. Local beekeepers can offer advice tailored to your area’s climate and conditions, and many associations provide resources on best practices for setting up and managing your apiary. Remember, a little planning now will help your bees—and you—enjoy a thriving, productive hive for years to come.
Apiary Location Tips
Choosing the right location for your apiary is key to keeping your honey bees happy and healthy. Look for a spot that’s safe, easy to reach, and away from heavy foot traffic or potential disturbances. A south-facing slope is ideal, as it offers warmth and some natural protection from harsh weather. Partial shade can help keep the hives cool during the hottest part of the day.
Be mindful of your neighbors and any nearby sources of pollution, like fields treated with pesticides or industrial sites. It’s best to keep your apiary at least 10 feet from property lines, and using a fence or a row of trees can help shield your bees from unwanted visitors and predators. Most importantly, make sure there are plenty of flowers nearby for your bees to forage—healthy bees need a steady supply of nectar and pollen to thrive.
The Role of Honey Bee Queens
The queen bee is truly the heart of the honey bee colony. She’s responsible for laying eggs—sometimes up to 2,000 a day during peak season!—ensuring a steady supply of new bees to keep the hive strong. But her job doesn’t stop there. The queen’s unique pheromones help maintain order in the hive, guiding the behavior of worker bees and keeping the colony running smoothly.
A healthy, active queen is essential for a productive hive. Worker bees tend to her needs, feed her, and keep her clean, while she focuses on laying eggs and maintaining the colony’s social structure.
The queen also influences when new queens and drones are produced, playing a key role in the hive’s reproductive cycle. As a beekeeper, you can support your queen by providing a clean, well-maintained hive, a nutritious diet, and protection from pests and diseases. Regularly checking on her performance helps ensure your bees stay healthy and your hive thrives.
Honey Plants
Honey plants are the backbone of a thriving honey bee colony, providing the nectar and pollen bees need to produce honey and feed their young.
The types of plants you grow or encourage near your apiary can have a big impact on the flavor and quality of your honey. Popular choices like clover, alfalfa, and sunflowers are excellent sources of nectar, while herbs like lavender and wildflowers such as coneflower not only support your bees but also attract other pollinators.
You can plant honey plants in gardens, fields, or even along roadsides to create a rich foraging environment for your bees. By offering a diverse selection of annuals and perennials, you’ll help ensure your bees have food throughout the season, which leads to healthier colonies and better honey production.
Plus, planting for pollinators supports local biodiversity and makes your apiary a haven for all kinds of beneficial insects.
Beekeeping Throughout The Year
When I got started beekeeping, I didn’t quite understand what’s involved during the whole year. Just in case you are in the same situation I was, I’ll make this a little easier for you.
Beekeeping is very seasonal, and this is the part that makes it easier to take care of your bees. Knowing what happens throughout the year helps beekeepers prepare for what the bees want to do, instead of reacting to what they have done.
The hive serves as the bees' home, providing a place for the colony to live, store honey, and raise brood, so understanding its role is key to managing bees through the seasons.
The good thing about seasons is that they happen every single year. Learning how bees respond to the seasons makes taking care of them so much easier.
Beekeeping In The Spring
Effective management in early spring is crucial to prepare the colony for rapid growth and ensure a healthy buildup.
During the spring, the populations in a hive explode in preparation for the large number of flowers that bloom during the spring. While these flowers are blooming, the bees are trying to make the most of it and store most of their honey during this period.
Spring is also the time when a strong nectar flow is at its peak, providing ample resources for the bees to build up their stores and significantly boost colony productivity. During a strong nectar flow, bees use the abundance of nectar to draw comb, producing white wax to create new brood and honey storage space.
For the beekeepers, this is the time of the year where the beekeeper does their best to keep up with them. This is also the ideal time of the year to start a new beehive and the time of the year most beehives are for sale. Monitoring the brood pattern in spring is important to assess queen health and overall colony development.
Beekeeping In The Summer
During the summer, the temperature is so hot that many flowers stop producing nectar and shift their attention to just surviving the heat. Because of this, bees do not have as much to forage on.
Bees shift their attention to keeping the inside of the hive from overheating by fanning the entrance with their wings and bringing water back into the hive. Adult bees play a key role in regulating hive temperature, while young bees are primarily responsible for caring for the brood and maintaining healthy colony development.
The summer is also a time where there are a couple of pests increase in population and can become a nuisance to the bees. Something cool that bees do during the summer is to steal from each other.
Strong hives will actually invade weaker colonies and steal their honey. Additionally, monitoring drone brood during the summer is important for assessing colony health and managing mite populations.
Beekeeping In The Fall
During the fall, beekeeping responsibilities and hive populations are on the decline, which is completely normal. Again, this is typical for most of the United States, but sub-tropical areas don’t wind down as much as the colder climates.
Fall is also a critical time for honey production as beekeepers prepare their hives for the winter months.
During the fall, beekeeping activities typically focus on getting hives ready for winter. This typically involves minimizing extra space inside the hive and feeding syrup to the bees to make sure they don’t starve over the winter. It is important to manage the brood chamber by ensuring it is properly sized and contains enough resources for the colony to survive the colder months. Beekeepers should also check for sealed brood as an indicator of colony health before winter sets in. Additionally, using powdered sugar dusting is a helpful mite control method during fall management to reduce varroa mite populations.
Beekeeping In The Winter
Ahhh winter… The off-season for most beekeepers. This is typically when you sit back and enjoy the time off with few responsibilities.
Some parts of the country don’t quite have a winter. If you live in Vermont, you probably don’t think anyone south of you has a winter and laugh at us Southerners when we talk about being cold. In terms of beekeeping, around 50°F is the cutoff for bees. Anything below that and the bees are staying inside the hive and not foraging. Anything above that and they will work all day long.
Before winter sets in, be sure to remove or manage honey supers so the bees have access to their main stores in the brood chambers. This helps ensure the colony can reach their food during cold weather.
So if you live in a part of the country that is above 50°F all winter long, it’s not much of a winter for your bees. If you live in Vermont, you better get your bees ready for winter before it gets too cold.
What About Harvesting Honey? Insights into Honey Production
Having a taste of honey from your very first honey harvest is a moment that won’t be forgotten. It’s pretty incredible seeing the end product of all that work, golden, sticky, delicious; there is no honey-like your honey and it’s something to look forward to. Learning how to harvest honey is an essential skill for beekeepers, as it not only provides a rewarding experience but also helps you understand the practical aspects of beekeeping.
When we teach classes, we try to temper the student’s expectations for harvesting honey during their first year. We always say, “Don’t make any promises. As soon as you tell people you are going to keep bees, they want to buy a bottle of honey ”. The more promises you make, the more pressure you put on you and your bees.
This isn’t because the bees don’t make any honey but because they don’t make any extra honey. The bees work hard all spring and summer, foraging for nectar and building their comb.
First-year colonies typically have to start from scratch with all their comb building. Because of that, all the energy collected in the form of nectar is turned into a comb. During the honey production season, it’s important to monitor for queen cells, as their presence can indicate swarming or changes in colony health. The good news is that the comb is reusable year after year.
So, in your 2nd year, it’s a good idea to plan for a honey harvest. In the 3rd year, even more. Bees and beekeepers both gain momentum as the years go on. Remember to integrate varroa management practices during honey production to maintain strong and healthy colonies.
What Is The Worst Part Of Beekeeping?
Without a doubt, the hardest part of beekeeping is walking up to a hive you thought was doing great, only to find out there aren’t any more bees in it. There are several reasons this could happen and they are typically able to be prevented. Proactive management is essential to keep bees alive and maintain healthy colonies. But regardless, it’s tough to find out your colony didn’t survive.
One of the biggest challenges is managing the varroa mite, a pest that can devastate a hive if not properly controlled. Monitoring mite population using methods like alcohol washes or sticky boards is crucial, and treatments such as formic acid can be effective in reducing mite levels and protecting colony health.
Sometimes, the bees die, and sometimes, they decide to move somewhere else completely. Sometimes, their hive is raided by another colony that wants to steal honey. There are lots of reasons for failure, but even with the occasional disappointments, it is still very rewarding to take care of your own hives.
In addition to varroa mites, beekeepers must also watch for pests like wax moth and small hive beetle, which can cause significant damage if not managed through ongoing pest control strategies.
Adam Hickman owns Foxhound Bee Company and is a certified EAS Master Beekeeper. Before ever selling a box through Foxhound Bee Company, Adam wrote beekeeping blogs for education. Adam regularly teaches beekeeping classes through Foxhound Bee Co and also through his local beekeeping club.