In this guide, you’ll learn:
how much it really costs to start
what equipment you actually need
where to place your hive
what to expect in your first year
how to choose the right bees
Thinking about getting bees is such an exciting prospect, but at the same time, it can be a bit intimidating. After all, you are signing up to intentionally work with thousands of stinging insects! On the other hand, the allure of fresh honey, harvested straight from your hive in your backyard, from bees you tended, maybe eventually born from a queen you raised, somehow makes it all seem worth the occasional sting. Here I share what I wish I’d known before I started keeping bees.
Beekeeping takes time, dedication, and resources, but it is so rewarding. The hive products, make it all seem worth it, and few things in life are as precious as getting to see your girls’ cute little faces looking up at you.
Are you ready to become a beekeeper?
Bees are like other livestock, in that they take time to maintain. Thankfully, unlike a cow or horse, they don’t need daily care, but they will need regular care. It is important to plan to spend an hour or two, once every week or two, in the spring, summer, and fall, caring for your bees. This time estimate, is based on the time a beginning beekeeper will need to do a hive inspection, for one or two hives. (It is always STRONGLY encouraged to get two hives to begin with. Many beekeeping problems can be solved by having a second hive to pull resources from.) A hive inspection took me about an hour when I first started keeping bees. Now I can inspect a hive in about thirty seconds and have a good idea what is going on, since I know what I am looking for, and can complete a full inspection in two to ten minutes, depending on what I am hoping to achieve. So like anything, hive inspections will get faster, but expect at first to spend about one hour a week, or two hours every two weeks checking on your new bees.
Expect for honey bees to take more time at certain times of the year. There are seasonal responsibilities. The beekeeper’s year starts in the spring. In the early spring, you will need to check to ensure they are not running out of food, and feed them if necessary. Mid to late spring, you will need to add boxes, check for swarm cells, potentially make splits, and check for overall hive health. In the summer, you will need to add more boxes, and treat your bees, or manage for varroa. In the fall you will need to harvest your honey, and prepare the bees for winter, feeding if necessary to ensure they have adequate food supply. In the winter, you will need to ensure that the hive entrance is clear so the bees have access to fresh air.
Be prepared for there to be a very real leaning curve when you are keeping bees. After keeping bees for thirteen years, I am still learning. I appreciate the opportunity to continuously develop my skill, not allowing my mind to become stagnant.
One of the hardest parts of beekeeping, in my opinion, is having one of your colonies die (called a “dead-out” by long-time beekeepers). You may have done everything you could think of to save your colony, and yet they still might die. You must clean out the dead bees and start again. I have found cleaning out the dead bees to be a discouraging and sad job.
You should check to see what local regulations or HOA restrictions you may have. Most often, you will be able to keep bees, but they may limit the number of colonies you may have at any one time, and where they may be located on your property.
How much does it cost to start beekeeping?
If you are thinking about getting bees, you may wonder what it actually costs to get bees. I included a resource page , where I share my favorite places to get beekeeping equipment. I will share a breakdown of the price range here.
- Hive – $200
- Protective clothing – $60-300
- Tools – $20-40
- Bees- $160-$400
Of course it is always an option to find used equipment, but this is risky, since some bee diseases are transmitted through equipment.
You will need two hives, and two colonies of bees, so the total cost, excluding feed and treatment (less than $100 total for the first year) comes to between $800 to $1,540.
I’ve heard it said that if the only reason you want to be a beekeeper is to have your own “free” honey, you probably shouldn’t get bees, because that honey will be the most expensive honey you ever eat. On the other hand, if you want to experience the wonder of the honey bee colony, you will be hooked for life, and it will be one of the best decisions you have ever made.
The good news is that this estimate is for one time expenses. From year to year, you could expect to spend about $25 for sugar, and $35 for treatment for the bees. The treatment costs can vary widely depending on what type of treatment you use. I use Formic Pro strips, and this is roughly the cost for two hive’s worth.
There is the potential to offset some of these expenses with the sale of honey and other products of the hive. Beginner beekeepers should expect to harvest honey their second year keeping bees.
Beekeeping supply catalogs abound with all kinds of little things aimed to make beekeeping easier or somehow more effective. Products claim to increase honey yields or overwintering rates. Some of these can be useful, but to start out, you really only need protective gear , a hive and hivestand, a hive tool, feeder and bees. Don’t be fooled into buying all the extras, before you know what you actually need.
Where should you put your hive?
There is so much to figure out how to start beekeeping. Where to place your new bee yard is an important consideration. You want to put your bees somewhere they will be away from neighbors, with some shelter from the wind, and in morning sun. Bushes, trees, or a fence are all satisfactory windbreaks. You will also want to provide them a water source so they have easy access to water, and are not inclined to use your neighbor’s swimming pool as their personal drinking fountain! I’ve gone more in depth about hive placement and beginner beekeeping here.
What equipment do you actually need?
Let’s start with your hive. You need a place to put it so you will need a hive stand. You can buy pre-made ones, or make your own. Making your own can be very easy and affordable.
Then you need a bottom board. There are solid bottom boards and screened bottom boards. Screened bottom boards allow for more ventilation in the warm months, but should be changed to solid boards in the winter.
A deep hive body is next. You can either have one or two “brood boxed”- these deep hive bodies. Most beekeepers use two brood boxes, and then put “honey supers” on top, shallower boxes that are easier to lift.
Inside the boxes are frames, typically either eight or ten frames, and are where the bees put their honey and brood. Frames have what is called foundation in them, where the bees “draw comb” to fill up with their young, and their food stores. This foundation can either be built into the frame or can be sold seperately.
Next is an inner cover, and outer cover. The inner cover prevents bees from being squished, when the outer cover is put on. The outer cover keeps the elements out of the hive.
For protective gear, I recomend a jacket and gloves, jeans and boots, at the least. This is what I wear when I work my bees. I’ve written an article about why protective gear is such a good idea for beginner beekeepers. I love the Comfort Pro jacket. My gloves are Harvest Lane Honey gloves. Check out my post on the best type of jeans for working your bees here.
A beginner beekeeper really only needs one kind of tool, and that is the hive tool. You likely won’t need to worry about getting equipment to harvest your honey your first year, since the bees will need the honey they make at first to establish their new home and make it through winter.
A queen excluder is a helpful addition, since it allows you to control where the queen lays eggs. You don’t want eggs mixed in with the honey you plan to harvest!
What type of bees should you start with?
Beginner beekeepers have many options when deciding what bees to get. They can buy nucs or packages. Package bees are three or four pounds of bees shaken together, with a queen and a can of syrup added to them. They can be shipped easily. Nucs on the other hand are a small hive of bees. The queen in the nuc is mother to the bees in it, and they have honey and all other types of resources in the hive. They are sold more locally.
If given the choice, I will almost always buy a nuc over a package. Nucs are easier to install, and are months ahead of package bees. They cost almost the same price as the packages. The other thing that is nice about package bees, is that they are often local to the area. Local bees have adapted to the climate where they live and will have a better chance of survival.
Most beginner beekeepers start with Italian or Carniolan bees. These bees are known to be gentle and relaible. I like a mutt bee, a mix of Italian, Carniolan, and the wild bee population.
As I mentioned earlier, it is more important that you have local bees than a particular breed. Gentle bees are also important for beginner beekeepers. The temperment of a hive can make or break the beekeeping experience.
What to expect in your first year
I’ll start by sharing a month by month overview for my local area. Depending where you are located, you may start earlier or later.
January- Order your hive, and assemble it. Learn all you can about beekeeping. Find a supplier, and place an order for your bees.
February- Learn more about beekeeping. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch youtubes, read blogs. Learn how to work your bees without getting stung. Finish anything that wasn’t completed from January’s list.
March- Prepare your bee yard. Create a level place without brush. If you plan to fence it, now is the time to do so. Set up your hive stand, and your hives. Some suppliers begin to ship bees in March. It is still too early to get them where I live. They would have nothing to eat.
April- Finish any last minute preparations for your bees. Aim to bring your bees home this month or in May.
May- This is the latest reasonable month to bring home your bees from a supplier. Once you get the bees install them in your hive. Feed them, and make sure they have access to fresh water.
June- Check for swarm cells. Add boxes as needed. Feed the bees if there is not ample forage (there most often will be plenty for them to eat in June).
July- Add boxes if needed, figure out your mite treatment plan, order treatment. Treat your bees late July or early August. If you are going away, make sure to set your bees up for while you’re on vacation.
August- Treat your bees if you haven’t already. Add boxes as needed. Make sure your queen is laying well. Provide your bees plenty of fresh water.
September- Make sure your bees have enough honey to make it through winter. If they don’t feed them as much as they will take.
October- Wrap your hives for winter. Continue feeding as needed.
November- Remove all liquid feed.
December- Keep snow cleared from enterance. Plan for spring.
In subsequent years, these tasks will change slightly. There will be honey to harvest, and splits to make, but this is an overview of your first year. Beginner beekeepers make many mistakes, and this is to be expected. I know I did! It is a good idea to have a mentor that can help you when you get stumped. Bees are complex creatures and sometimes you have to see something yourself to learn best. A mentor is the perfect person to come along side you and guide you through these chalenges.
Ready to start your beekeeping journey?
If you’re still excited about getting bees after learning what the first year really looks like, that’s a great sign — you’re already ahead of most beginners. The more you understand before you bring home a hive, the smoother (and more enjoyable) your beekeeping experience will be.
Before you order your bees, I recommend reading a few next posts:
- Avoid the most common beginner errors by checking out my guide to rookie beekeeping mistakes.
- Make sure your hive is set up for success by having the essential beekeeping supplies.
- If you’re gathering supplies, here’s my honest breakdown of protective gear for beginners.
- And if you want a peek at what real beekeeping looks like, you can follow along in my beekeeping journey.
Beekeeping is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can take on — and with the right preparation, you’ll be far more confident when your bees finally arrive. I’m cheering you on as you take the next step.