Getting Started with Bees
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Becoming a beekeeper is an investment. If you keep at it, you will be able to recoup the money that you put into it, but you have to be very patient. Bees don’t make honey overnight. And they need quite a lot of the honey to feed themselves. Do not expect to get any honey in the first year of beekeeping.
And consider that colonies do not always make it through the winter, especially in the north, so there’s a chance you may have to start all over the following year. This is why it is recommended to always have at least two beehives. If one doesn’t make it, you’ll have a second to hopefully fall back on. If both of them don’t make it, you’ll need to rethink your beekeeping strategies. And, yes, I’ve lost them both before. It happens.
So, the purpose of this article is to get you started with the basics. What you will need in your first year of beekeeping:
Hive kit
You can buy the hive components separately, but it is generally a little cheaper to just buy a kit. Depending on your budget this could range anywhere from $100-500. Some of these kits are just a basic deep hive body with a lid, inner cover, bottom board, entrance reducer, frames, and foundation. Some of them include honey supers, queen excluders, bee suits, gloves, smokers, etc. If you go with the basic option (which I did when I started), just be prepared to spend more later because you will need to expand your hive in order to get any honey.
Warning: Do not buy the hive kits where you screw on mason jars and the bees draw comb inside them though! Ever! This is the worst idea anyone has ever come up with.
Smoker
Unless you like getting stung, you must have a smoker. The smoke distracts the bees, causing them to feed on their honey instead of defending their hive and stinging you.
Hive Tool
Bees glue everything down with propolis (bee glue). It is strong stuff. You’ll need this to separate the hive components when you want to open the hive. You’ll also need it to pull out the frames to inspect. There are several varieties to choose from. My preference is a J hook. The hook helps lift the frames out of the hive.
Bee suit, jacket, or veil
This will depend on your comfort level. I prefer a jacket. Most of the time if a bee is going to sting you, they will go for your head or your hands. I’ve been stung through my jeans before, but I wouldn’t say it’s very common, so I view a full suit as overkill in most situations. If your hive is in a tick infested area though, buy the suit. We have chickens, so there are no ticks here.
I would not recommend a veil to a new beekeeper, but hey, if you’re a maverick, be my guest. I’m not.
Gloves
I recommend wearing gloves for a new beekeeper. Some people don’t. Based on the recommendations in the book Beekeeping for Dummies, I started out without gloves. And at first, it was fine. The bees were calm and gentle. Everything was going well.
Those were spring bees. Spring bees are happy little things bringing in nectar. Probably singing “Heigh-Ho” and whatnot as they buzz through the air. They’re young and fresh, and you’re not a bother.
Then comes fall. Robbing starts happening. Bees get a little more defensive. They’re trying to keep their stores built up for winter, and you’re an intruder. Wear gloves. There’s no shame in it. Professional beekeepers wear them too.
Additional Hive Body or Honey Super
You need to be prepared for your hive to expand at all times. For most first year beekeepers, you’ll probably want another deep hive body to place on top of the first one once your bees run out of room. This is the recommendation of probably 95% of beekeepers.
I’m the exception. I run single deep hives. I use a single deep body, a queen excluder, and honey supers on top.
I live in Indiana. Our winters get cold, and my bees died every year I ran doubles. I could do things to help. I could wrap my hives up in insulation. I could add moisture boards. I could use a moisture quilt. I could put up wind breaks.
I could. Or I could run singles, and they don’t seem to need all that stuff. There are some significant drawbacks to singles, but that’s for another article. Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to doubles.
Queen Excluder (optional)
Some people call these honey excluders. Most people who run doubles do not use them. Bees prefer not to cross them in double deep hives, and your honey production will often be limited.
They are necessary if you plan to run a single deep hive. Otherwise the queen will move up and lay eggs in your honey super, and no one wants eggs or bee larva in their honey. Bees will not want to cross them at first, but once the bottom is fully built out, they usually will start to move up. It helps if you can give them a frame of honey to start with.
Bee Brush (optional)
There are times when it may be nice to have a bee brush. I didn’t use one in my first year, but I use them frequently now, especially if I have to move a frame of brood or honey from one hive to another.
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