Bee Keeping for Absolute Beginners on Keeping Honey Bees
Why do people keep bees? Well, many people keep bees because they want to encourage these industrious insects into their orchards and gardens, and also because they are worried about the declining bee populations and the disappearing bees. Others know the benefits of honey for their skin, health and energy levels and keep bees as a result, giving them a steady supply of pure, organic honey.
Even urban bee keeping has started up in cities and around our suburban backyards! But unfortunately many give up on beekeeping after they have tried to harvest their first lot of honey. We don't want that to happen to you, and with these simple steps, you will see that beekeeping isn't as difficult as you first thought.
Beekeeping For Beginners and Identifying the Bees in your Bee Hive

As honey becomes scarce, the drones are destroyed. Drones have large, clumsy bodies, and their buzzing, when on the wing, is louder, and altogether different from the others.
In bee keeping the drones seem to be of the least value of any in the hive. Perhaps not more than one in a thousand is ever called upon to perform the duty for which they were designed. Yet they assist, on some occasions, to keep up the animal heat necessary in the old hive after a swarm has left.
The Worker Bees Picture 2
Basket-like cavities are found on the worker bees' legs, where they pack the pollen of flowers into little pellets, convenient to bring home. They are also provided with a sting, and if attacked, will generally defend themselves sufficient to escape.
Worker bees range the fields for honey and pollen, secrete wax, construct combs, prepare food, nurse the young, bring water for the use of the community, obtain propolis to seal up all crevices about the hive, stand guard, and keep out intruders, robbers, etc.
The Queen Bee Picture 3
The queen bee is longer than either the drones or workers, but her size, in other respects, is a medium between the two. In shape she resembles the worker more than the drone; and, like the worker, has a sting, but will not use it for anything below royalty.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS, Beekeeping Equipment and Starting Small
In addition, you will need a smoker, a veil, gloves, feeding equipment and a honey extractor. Again we provide a plan for a homemade honey extractor. Here are the links to some free bee keeping plans for homemade beehives and homemade extractors.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Learning how to keep Bees
However, we hope that our simple guide to keeping honey bees for beginners like you, will help in some way to put you on the right path. Don't forget, though, it is no use keeping honey bees if you don't have the right honey plants to allow your bees to collect the nectar and convert it to honey.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Where to Site the Bee Hives
Make sure that the hives are not resting on damp ground by placing the hive on a row of bricks. Damp hives will result in sick bees. If you live in an area with skunks, bears or raccoons you will need to protect your hives as far as possible from these animals, as they will raid your hives if you don't. Finally, don't keep more than 2 colonies per acre. Good bee keeping management will result in about 45 kg of honey per hive.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Your New Bee Hives
To start off bee keeping you will need 3 eight-frame, medium depth boxes for each colony. Make sure that any additions that you make to your hive come from the same manufacturer as dimensions are not standard, and you will not have a good fit if you don't.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Wearing Protective Clothing
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and The Bee Hive Smoker
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Collecting the Honey
Don't remove honey from the brooding boxes. The honey here is darker, and dislodged brood and larvae will contaminate the honey.
Although there are a number of ways from shaking the frames to turning the hive on its side, the best way is of course to use a smoker as it makes the bees drowsy and far less aggressive. Aim the smoker at the hive and try and prise the lid off the hive so you can get to the frames. Keeping the smoker going lift the frames and brush the bees off the frames with a brush that is specifically for this purpose. Make sure that it is clean. You could also free the bees from the frame by shaking them off the frame. Remove as many frames as you want to in this manner and replace them with clean frames.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Remove the Capping
BEE KEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Honey Extractors
To see what you should be doing throughout the year, season by season, see our Beekeeper's Calendar for hive management during the year.
BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS and Pests and Diseases
You can treat tracheal mites by mixing 50grams of menthol with 50 grams of vegetable shortening and spreading it thinly on cardboard sheets that are placed on top of the frames for a total of 25 days. This is done in the spring and autumn times of the year where the temperature is at least 60°F. Make sure too that the opening to the hive is as small as possible to allow for the vapors to be distributed throughout the hive. However, I worry about possibility of tainting the honey's taste, as menthol has a very strong smell. I prefer neem.
Neem is a wonderful organic treatment for whole variety of pests in the garden, but is particularly useful with keeping the mite population down in your hives. By adding 3 ml of neem extract to 1 liter of sugar extract this will reduce both types of mites in your hives.
Mites are difficult to get rid of once you have them. The best way to avoid them is to check the hives for mites, and to make sure that your hives are clean.
Did you find this page helpful?
Sharing is a way of saying, "Thanks!"
Follow Us and Keep Up to Date
BEEKEEPING HOW TO VIDEO
Keeping Honey Bees - PART 1
Keeping Honey Bees - PART 2
Keeping Honey Bees - PART 3
Keeping Honey Bees - PART 4
You can Add your Comments on Bee Keeping!
Leave a Comment
Do you have anything that you would like to add after reading this page? We would love to hear your thoughts. If you can add additional information to what has been written here you will be adding value to the website! No need to have any special skills - just type and submit. We will do the rest!
Other Comments
Click below to see comments from other visitors to this page...
Problems with Moving Bees
We have moved our honeybee box to a new location. The bees are trying to hive where the old box was. How do I prevent the bees from doing this and to go …
I WANT FREE INFORMATION FOR BEGINNERS IN THE BEKEEPING BUSINESS
Just thinking about Beekeeping. I would like the information mailed to my home. Thank you.
Keeping Bees
Honeybees live as a colony by the thousands. They have a social structure, with each bee having a role in the preservation of the colony. Their collective …
New! Comments
Do you have something of value to add? Leave me a comment in the box below.