Learning the Ins and Outs of Beekeeping

 While hobby farms continue to increase in popularity, beekeeping is a hobby that can require slightly more work and risk. Starting as a beginner beekeeper can require a significant time and financial commitment. “Beekeeping is an art form with a little science and a little bit of luck, much patience and asking questions,” Josh Fox, co-owner of County Farm Bees in Kosciusko County, stated. The first step in beekeeping is deciding what the goal of the project is.

One of the most important first steps is establishing if anyone who will be beekeeping has an allergy to bee stings. If unsure, a visit to the local allergy specialist can prevent any serious health emergencies. A normal bee reaction includes slight swelling, redness and itching. Anything more severe than that constitutes an allergic reaction. When starting out, getting stung is an inevitability.

It can be helpful to find a local bee club to ask questions and find a mentor. “My recommendation is run a season with a beekeeper — watching, asking questions and helping where you can,” Fox explained. “If you are not worrying about your own success and failure that first season, you will be able to focus on learning the process and procedures and focus on learning.” Books on beekeeping for beginners can be helpful, especially if taking notes and asking other beekeepers.

Beekeeping classes, such as the ones Jennifer Baumgartner took in Chicago, Ill., can help beginners learn basic beekeeping knowledge as well as working hands-on with bees. However, having a mentor to turn to for help and to share their knowledge and experience can help reduce some of the common beginner mistakes. When choosing to take on beekeeping, a minimum three year commitment is recommended, according to Fox.

The first year can be used to focus on gaining knowledge and learning from other beekeepers. The second year will involve beginning beekeeping and working through all the knowledge and applying it. The third year involves finally understanding the routine and beginning to adjust as needed. While it can feel stressful and overwhelming the first year or two, it does tend to get easier with experience. It can be hot work in the summer in the protective equipment with heavy boxes to carry. However, there are always unknowns or nature to create possible complications.

“You learn quickly that you do not control the bees and instead act as a steward of the bees,” Baumgartner described. Financially, beekeeping does involve an investment. Essential gear for beekeeping, such as a good quality beekeeping jacket or suit, veil, gloves, hive tool and smoker, can cost approximately $200. It is recommended by Fox to buy a complete setup when starting out, which costs approximately $500. This complete setup includes a bottom board and entrance reducer, two brood boxes with frame resources, queen excluder if desired, two honey supers with frames to store the honey, inner cover, outer cover and a feeder shim and quilt box for winter. It is also possible to build some of the equipment components. While it is cheaper to start with one colony, getting two colonies can be more helpful in order to have the hives support one another and help determine the best way to manage the bees.

It can cost between $150 to $300 to purchase either a three-pound package or a full colony of bees. Future expenses include equipment to extract and bottle the honey as well as keeping the hives maintained and healthy. When extracting honey, the simplest methods tend to work the best in order to keep it as pure as possible.

When starting with a brand new package of bees, the hive may need more attention. In the spring, a beekeeper has to ensure the bees have enough space to grow or they will swarm and a beekeeper will lose their bees. In the summer the bees tend to be mostly self-sufficient and beekeepers can simply focus on gathering honey and ensuring the health of the hive. Some beekeepers make sure to check for mites and other parasites to ensure their hives are healthy.

Other beekeepers, such as Leighton Martin in Elkhart County, prefer to allow natural selection to take its course and not treat for mites. “Bees are made to take care of themselves,” Martin mentioned. “Let them be what they are created to be.” In the fall, beekeepers prepare the hive for the winter. This includes creating a windbreak or even insulation around the hive to keep it warm, ensuring the hive is properly ventilated and making sure the bees have enough resources to get them through the winter. One mistake beekeepers can make is taking too much honey so that the bees do not have enough.

An organization, Hives for Heroes, helps to bring veterans to beekeeping as a way to work with them and help with post-traumatic stress disorder by helping bring them calm and peace. Baumgartner agreed that the focus required to keep bees can be relaxing and almost meditative. “The most interesting part for me,” Baumgartner added, “is watching how everyone has their roles and everyone works together.”