HOW TO START BEEKEEPING for the Absolute Beginner | Become a Beekeeper | Beekeeping 101
Want to become a beekeeper? This is an introduction to beekeeping that outlines the steps you need to take in order to become a beekeeper. You'll learn the parts of the beehive, what you need to buy, what the beekeeper does and more. Plus lots of tips from a beekeeper of 12 years!
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More Beginner Beekeeping Videos:
► How to Assemble a Beehive: • LANGSTROTH BEEHIVE ASS...
► Beekeeping Equipment & How to Use It: • LANGSTROTH BEEHIVE EXP...
► Inspecting a Beehive: • How to Read a Frame Wh...
► How to Spot the Queen: • SPOT THE QUEEN BEE EVE...
► Pests in the Beehive: • WHAT YOU DON'T Want to...
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Step 1 - Learn Bee Biology
00:38 - The role of the queen bee
00:57 - The role of the worker bee
01:33 - The role of the drone
02:28 - Why bees make honey
03:30 - Step 2 - Allergy to bee stings
03:35 - Step 3 - Finding a location for your beehive
04:45 - Step 4 - Beehive equipment, hive set-up
07:50 - Step 5 - Shadow a beekeeper
08:15 - Step 6 - How to buy bees
09:17 - When to order your bees
09:35 - How many colonies to start beekeeping with
10:00 - Step 7 - Order beekeeping equipment
10:20 - Step 8 - The role of the beekeeper
13:52 - Step 9 - Paint and assemble beehive
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Want to keep bees but don't know where to start? The first step to keeping bees is learning about bees and the hive.
The second step to becoming a backyard beekeeper is making sure you are not allergic to honey bees. If you are, you should not keep bees. There is no amount of protective gear that can prevent you from ever getting stung. Talk with your physician to see if it is okay to keep bees.
The third step is making sure you have a location to put your bees that is out of the way, won't harm the bees, won't bother the neighbors, and is legal.
The fourth step is to understand the parts of a beehive and the beekeeping equipment you will need. I recommend starting with whatever hive style is most common where you live so it is easy to find equipment as well as someone to ask questions.
The fifth step is to shadow a beekeeper and get a feel for what it's like to open a hive.
The sixth step is to learn the role of the beekeeper and what the beekeeper does.
The seventh step is to order your bees. The eighth step is to order your equipment, assemble and paint it.
beekeeping explained, langstroth beehive contraction, beehive styles
Free BEEKEEPING BOOK: www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/freebeebook ONLINE BEE CLASS: www.beekeepingmadesimple.com/beekeeping-for-beginners
Just took a 2 1/2 seminar on bee-keeping...learned more in this 15 minutes than in that 150 minutes! Thank you!
LOL that's funny. You're welcome. Gosh I hate those kinds of seminars. Beekeepers can be a talkative bunch, especially when they start talking about bees 🤣
I'm a linear thinker, so I need Step 1, Step 2 format. He was zig zagging.@@BeekeepingMadeSimple
I just bought a house on some land and found an active bee box. I guess I am a bee keeper now. Thanks for the video.
I can tell people right now, based solely on the thumbnail, before even watching this: If you're a new beekeeper or an experienced one, WEAR A VEIL. ALWAYS. Even if you wear no other special equipment. Protect your eyes, always. Always.
Yes, it is good practice to protect your face from getting stung by wearing a veil. That being said, I have been stung up the nose twice and they both happened when I was not opening a beehive. I've also witnessed a co-worker get stung in the eye. He was not a beekeeper. He was just near honey. You can't wear a veil every time you go outside.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimple No, and I wasn't suggesting anyone should wear one every time they're outside. But working with the hive, standing at the hive, and holding frames with bees on them as you are here, people definitely should.
I agree the thumbnail shows her handling them without proper protection @@yulebones
@divynerosehealing8546 I do wish that were the case but unfortunately bees don't work on vibes. Yeah, generally, if you're calm and all circumstances are ideal, they'll ignore you. But if, say, their queen has died, and you get too close, it doesn't matter how calm you are. They'll still come for your eyes. Part of respecting bees is understanding that they don't think like we do. And there are loads of beekeepers on KZhead who make very clear videos with veils on, because they understand that vibes and respect won't stop bees from misunderstanding intent.
@@yulebonesI’m sorry I deleted my comment by accident. I appreciate your reply. My grandfather was painting his house once and disturbed a swarm and they stung him all over his body. He lived to tell the tale thankfully. You were right about the veil and being able to hear. I just watched a guy in a video with one on and I could hear him well.
My grandfather Micheal Dzelula invented the first box in 1911❤
Wow! Impressive.
My grandfather discovered bees. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 What do you want a statue for your settler grandfather
I've been researching bee ownership for years, and this is by far the best video I've come across. Thank you!
Wow, thank you! Do you think you'll keep bees one day?
It is my DREAM! Huge enthusiast since I was young
Very helpful. Was just considering starting beekeeping and this was exactly what I needed.
I found this video to be very informative if you are thinking to start being a beekeeper❤
I love your video, I am planning to have one beehive, have not idea about it but I will definitely try
Great content! I am a beginner and appreciate all the information. Not able to keep bees where I live but looking forward to the possibility in the future.
You’re amazing. Thanks for the knowledge bombs.
Really appreciate the simplicity of the setup demo I actually ordered 2 of what you demonstrated Thank you because I’m getting 2 NUCS from a local farmer on the 30th of March
Thank you! I have a whole playlist about beekeeping equipment if you need further explanation about any of the parts, but that's the basics.
Fantastic Tutorial! Thank You!
You are welcome!
This information is very straight and broken down in a simple and understandable way. This is very helpful for beginners. She's very knowledgeable about bees.
Excellent tutorial, Thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Thank-you that was very inspirational.
Thank you for the info! I'll bee checking out your other info to see what I need!
You're welcome! Thank you for watching.
Wonderful video for us newbies!! God bless from Nova Scotia 🇨🇦
Glad it was helpful!
great video! I have my first nucleus colony coming this june...in Cape Breton canada. Looking forward to it!
You explain it so well ! 😊 people don't realize without bees everything Dies . It's euphoric to realize this interesting prossess I love that's it runs in my blood . It's beestringing
Thank you!
If a 🐝 flew over to you, would you run away, be scared but stay calm or say hello and hold a conversation with her? 😊 Leave in the comments!
Definitely would check the temperature and make sure it’s not an Asian Death hornet or a yellow jacket 😂
I remember having a bee land on me, didnt sting but scary as heck, my ADHD butt had been the stillest it had been in millennia
We grow much of our food here and lots of flowers so attract many, many bees. They don’t mind us and we certainly don’t mind them! We’d like to start keeping bees but it’s a huge investment….
Oh I talk with them….they are so intriguing. Just yesterday, a glass of wine and a chair watching scout bees check out an empty hive….first days of Spring and wonderful.
I’m the kind of person who happily stays calm , says hello, and holds a conversation. 😊 they are adorable
Great job! Very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you ❤
You're welcome 😊
Fantastic; you are a good communicator. I am glad I found your channel
Thanks and welcome
Wow I'm in love
Another great video, Laryssa. "Thank You " 😊
thank you!
New subscriber,I’m ready to start my own hive and you explained things very well and I’m interested in Your online class ,Thank you I’m so glad I found your channel
Thanks and welcome
Good education. thank you1
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it. Feel free to leave questions about getting started in the comments.
The production on your videos is getting better and better.
Thanks! This video was a big headache! A new camera is on it's way. Very excited to take some footage out with the bees.
Excellent video. Thanks!
Thank you!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Really well done vlog Laryssa! I have taken your online class and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. I am reading the book honeybee democracy, which seems very comprehensive so far. I am suffering from option paralysis. I made a top bar hive, because they seemed simple to build, but then I didn't want to start without foundation, and then winter got here, so I disassembled the hive. I also have an unassembled langstroth long hive (Leo Sharashkin, MO) that I think I want to use, because I am over 50, and will be managing supers by myself. I'm just new to know what I want to do first. 😊 Thanks for being encouraging. 2024- year of the honeybee!
If you're getting overwhelmed with the options and what to do, my recommendation is to start with a regular langstroth style beehive and if a box is too heavy to lift, just take as many frames out as you need to in order to make the box light enough to lift. In spring time and fall the hive will be small and light and you don't have to pick up anything heavy when it's just one box. With just a few hives, it doesn't add too much time to your inspections. Then you can just follow along with the online class and not worry about learning other options and figuring what to do. I'm always available via email to answer questions! Then in a couple years, if you have more than a couple hives and want to try it out, you can switch to long langstroth hives (or do half langstroth hives and half long langstroth) and use the same frames and foundation and sell any equipment you don't want anymore. Then your only worry is figuring out how to overwinter the long langstroth which should be a manageable thing to research as an experienced beekeeper. If you don't want to invest in more equipment, since you already have a long langstroth you can use that, put your frames and foundation in and just follow along with the class for everything else. You'll just have to research later on about overwintering those hives.
Thank you. I liked and just subscribed.
Thanks!
@@BeekeepingMadeSimple Your welcome.
Great for beginners thank you😅🐝🐝🐝
You’re welcome 😊
Love the information tnxs
Our pleasure!
Great information as usual! Thanks Laryssa! -Dusty
Thanks for watching!
Newer studies suggest clustering is not a healthy behavior for bees and should be prevented by keeping the box as warm as possible using blankets, insulation, etc
Interesting. Could you please share with me where I can read one of these studies? I'm curious what strains of honey bees they studied. There are strains of African honey bees that are more aggressive and prone to swarming often. But then there are Russian honey bees that evolved with the varroa mite and are in a very cold climate. I wonder if these different types of bees deal with cold and clustering differently. Also, there comes a point at which, even though it is better for the bees health to heat the cluster instead of letting them make their own heat, we are now making honey bees completely dependent on humans for survival which is not exactly a good thing. There is something to be said for letting the stronger hives that can withstand the stress of the cold to survive as opposed to keeping every hive alive through the winter. Don't you think? I stress to my viewers in a lot of my videos that honey bees swarm about 1-3 times in the wild and this is to account for a 50% hive loss or more that happens with more feral hives. I do not believe it is the job of the beekeeper keep every hive alive, no matter their genetics. At that point, we're interfering a little too much and might not help the bees in the long run. As a beekeeper you have to be able to accept that not every colony will survive and it is not always at the fault of the beekeeper.
Wonderful. Hello. My dear beekeeper friend, respect and greetings from Turkey.
Aloha from Hawaii! Thanks for stopping by.
Excellent video thank you. I’m also in the tropics and far South of Hawaii. I bought a hive recently and have been trying to move the hive from a tree about 16 feet up into a box. I know I’ve stuffed up, because the after I moved them to the boxes/hive, the bees are much less this afternoon than they were this morning. I noticed that the hive has restarted on another branch of the tree but quite a small hive , smaller than my fist. Does that generally mean that the Queen is still in the tree? Tomorrow I want to get the rest of the hive and get them into the beehive I’ve recently bought. Btw this app Amy first experience to do with honey beehives.
Very useful info thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Very good video thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.
Hello, BeeKeepingMadeSimple - thank you very much for your informative video. It is very helpful and I look forward to starting my BeeKeeping adventure! We must all work together to help save our beautiful planet and beautiful creatures we live in harmony with - support all forms of life the best we can :)
We do!
Thank you so much for this wonderful newbee video! I am so glad I found you. I live in NY. It is end of Feb. Is it too late for me to get bees?
You're welcome! It's not too late to get bees, but most apiaries start taking orders at the end of Jan or early Feb, so it's just a matter of whether they are taking orders still. When I lived in PA, we got our bees in late March. Depending on how north you are in NY, you probably wouldn't be picking up your bees until April or even early May if a nuc.
Aww thanks so much! Yeah I found a beekeeping supply near me ( I’m more southern ny) and it looks like April the nucs will be ready! I really want to get a Flow Hive for my first hive. Will a nuc be easily transferable into this type of hive?
By far the best video about beekeeping I have ever seen. I have just one question, what if I don't buy bees, how can I attract bees naturally to my beehive. I already have alot of flowering plants in my home and I often see alot of them on my flowers.? Please answer asap. Thanks
Thanks! You can definitely try to attract a swarm. Whether one comes is dependent on whether there are bees in your areas that will be swarming and they find your swarm trap attractive enough. you can set up swarm traps or buy them. You can also contact whoever would be called when someone has a swarm of bees they want removed. That might be your local fire department, police department, pest control company or big beekeeping company. I gave the local pest control company my number and they sent a lot of people my way when they got calls for swarms. Most of these calls are to remove an established colony from their home which is much more difficult to do especially as a beginner beekeeper, but sometimes it was for a swarm.
New subscriber!! Wonderful video and very interesting! Thank you . Reminds me of the bee movie, lol People don’t realize bees are so important! They are very beeeusy 😅This is a dream of mine… What if I make a bee house in my yard will that attract the queen?
Just stopped by to learn about bees and It sure looks like you are in Hawaii like me.
Great video. Can you taste the difference in the honey produced in Hawaii hives compared to Northern California where I live based on the different plants and temperature variation?
Nice video.
Thanks!
My grandfather Micheal Dzelula invented the first box in 1911
🐝 ❤
I received a 10 frame Bee Castle hive for my birthday but it only came with one brood box (deep Super) Is this going to be okay to start? Also it's April and I haven't ordered bees, is this a problem?
I like to watch beekeeping videos, but one thing I have been wondering about: why do most, but not all, beekeepers put a brick or rock or something heavy on the lid? Those lids look heavy and solid, so I don't think a gust of wind would knock it off so what is the purpose?
hah! It is not necessary to put something on your lid unless the hive is small and you are using a migratory lid. The telescoping outer covers are pretty heavy and shouldn't come off unless you are expecting really strong winds. A rock on the hive lid sometimes reminds the beekeeper that they just opened that hive. If you have a lot of hives in your yard, sometimes you forget where you started and which ones weren't opened yet or you use a rock to remember which hive needs something added to it.
Thanks for all the good info 😊
Do you have to paint a beeswax coated hive? Thank you for this info!
no, you should not paint the beeswax coated boxes. However, if the beeswax coating starts to chip off, then you should coat it with paint or some other non toxic coating that is suitable for outdoor use. One reason why I like those hives so much is that they are coated already with beeswax (something a lot of commercial apiaries do to extend the life of their hives).
Nice guide. Were there bears approaching hives? How do you deter bears?
Thanks! The best way to deter bears is to have an electric fence up and on before a bear attacks a hive. Once a bear has already attacked a hive and knows what's inside, an electric fence won't necessarily keep them away.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimple Ic Thank you.
5 months late - but I've recently been interested in bee keeping but I don't want to dive into at home beekeeping despite my research. I'd rather get to learn it along side experienced keepers due to my age and lack of hands on, but I am struggling to figure out how. I've looked into companies in my area, or even if I am required to take a college online/in-person course to apply but nothing has come up. Is beekeeping a niche job that isn't widely circulated or am I just looking in the wrong places? I live in Thornton, CO if anyone knows how to help. I'm seriously struggling here.
I feel the smoker is like cigarette smoke 💨 for the bees so they like go into drone mode you know let us know bestie.😊🐝
The smoke makes it hard for them to communicate that there's something wrong. It's like blasting music so loud in someone's house that they can't hear the security alarm going off.
I love to do this in my yard with a honey. bee house but how about they are going in your walls outside and building a nest or not?
If you do not prevent swarming by making sure there is space in your brood boxes, your bees will swarm and can go any number of places including a building, shed or tree. They have a knack for going exactly where you don't want them to. That's why I strongly encourage people to prevent their bees from swarming as much as possible, especially if your bees are in a residential area. Rural areas are best. That being said, it is not common for bees to swarm and make their new home so close to the original hive. They usually go a little bit further away.
Is it possible to start a hive in May?
It is! It is best to start a hive from a purchased nuc or to catch a swarm in May. Bees swarm in the late spring and summer, and they have to start a new hive from scratch. Swarms come with honey crops full of food and can build honeycomb really fast.
How far will they fly to collect nectar and pollen?
They say honey bees can fly up to a 3 mile radius from the hive. However, they don't go that far unless necessary. They fill up their honey crop with half their body weight in nectar, so I imagine the closer the better!
Ha ha that will bee thee last time I buy A thousand dollar queen! Douh!!
Really? How did she do? I've heard of people spending a lot of money on queens with certain genetics, but no one has much to say about whether it was worth the price tag.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimple She they out smarted me and moved into a huge white oak so now I can only try to catch swarms!
Never gotten it up the nose, that would suck.
It happened while answering a question during a beekeeping class. I had just closed up the hive. my eyes teared up and snot started pouring out my nose almost immediately. It hurt but also was just making my eyes burn. The person I was talking to seemed unfazed by it and just kept asking questions 😂
Where are you originally from, born & raised? And what location was this recorded at?
This video was recorded on the Big Island of Hawaii. I am from PA.
I can see what all the buzz is about
WHERE ARE YOUR LOCAT3D?
I am in Hawaii.
The thin walled wood hives shown here need to be history. Their insulation value is way not enough. Try a ZEST hive. It is 39 times better.
I will look into them! These hives are not pine, but I can't remember off the top of my head what kind of wood. I am in Hawaii so this topic isn't really relevant to me. You can also wrap your hive when needed.
Said story after a date.
Why wouldnt you just leave some honey for them to eat
Great question! That is, actually, what I do. However, it gets tricky because the beekeeper should leave enough honey for the bees to survive until the flowers start blooming, but sometimes the bees don't gather enough honey or a rainy spring means less flowers and the bees need more honey than most years. In my area, I take excess honey off the hive in winter time because too much honey on the hive will lead to small hive beetles laying eggs on unprotected food and a beehive full of beetle slime. I have a chest freezer and put my extra honey frames in there and feed them back to the bees as needed. If it's your first year, then you don't have any stored up honey and feeding your bees syrup will help them grow a lot faster than letting them find their own food during a time of year when there's not a lot of food to be found.
@@BeekeepingMadeSimple what in the hell did bees do before we humans came along. Tsk tsk
I don't think I would even of they where hallucinogenic honey
Beekeeping is not for everyone that's for sure.
Where do you live, I see coconuts
I wanna start beekeeping but bees scare me😭
What about beekeeping scares you? If you're a little nervous about getting stung, then those nerves will go away once it happens once or twice. If it's a stronger fear than "a little nervous around so many bees" then maybe try having a solitary bee hotel and putting mason bees in them, or planting borage and goldenrod and other flowers honey bees love. Bee watching is sometimes even better than beekeeping.
I'm surprised you'd wanna use white bleached sugar.
Brown sugar has molasses added back to it. Raw sugar still has the molasses in it, kind of. Molasses is not good for bees. At best they'll get dysentery, but they can also die from consuming it. Confectioner's sugar has corn starch added to it. Personally, I don't feed my bees almost ever and when I do, I put a frame of honey in the hive. I keep a chest freezer for my honeycomb and to store extra honey feed of the bees. However, when you're first getting started, go a little easy on yourself and don't try to make everything PERFECT. The feed will only be in the hive for a few weeks and it is a backup if the bees are starving. The most important thing is that you use sugar that doesn't have something harmful for their digestive system and that you add a supplement to help them digest it.
There are so many things wrong with this video that it's not even funny.
I welcome the challenge to prove me wrong! Please list a few.
Sounds like sexual harassment to me
For bees, sucks to be a guy.