A fun and rewarding way to get back in touch with nature and help vital pollinators is through beekeeping. A fulfilling hobby focused on both bees and the environment, beekeeping offers benefits such as producing your own honey and supporting local and worldwide ecosystems. We’ll explore how to get involved in the amazing activity of beekeeping in this blog.
Learning Beekeeping
Read books
For new beekeepers to acquire essential knowledge and comprehend the complexities of beekeeping, reading books can be very helpful. For beginners, books offer thorough insights into bee biology, hive management, disease prevention and seasonal maintenance. They also provide detailed instructions and beneficial advice that can help you avoid common issues.
Some great beginners manuals are ‘Beekeeping for Dummies’ by Howland Blackiston and David Wiscombe, ‘The BBKA Guide to Beekeeping’ by Ivor Davis and Roger Cullum-Kenyon, and ‘Bee Manual: The Complete Step-by-step Guide to Keeping Bees’ by Claire Waring. These books provide new beekeepers with a clear and practical guide to managing their hives and maintaining the health of their bee colonies.
Learn from Others
For new beekeepers looking for practical insights and hands-on experience, learning from others is invaluable. Although books are full of useful information, unfortunately they can’t provide the hands-on experience some people need to develop their beekeeping skills. Finding a skilled experienced beekeeper can help you avoid costly mistakes by imparting knowledge on hive management, local obstacles and efficient practices.
By providing mentorship, and access to resources, prevention tactics and networking opportunities, you’ll be able to establish a beekeeping support system and get hands-on experience, helping to increase your learning and confidence.
Do a course
Enrolling in an introductory beekeeping course is great for an organised, comprehensive education on beekeeping. Important subjects include bee biology, hive set-up, seasonal upkeep, pest control and honey harvesting. When picking a course, it’s also good to look for hands-on experience, site visits, and access to a beekeeping mentor.
Safety instruction, such as how to prevent stings and save bee colonies, is another common feature of courses. A beekeeping school can accelerate a beginner's comprehension with professional direction and participatory learning, guaranteeing a strong foundation for future success.
Read Blogs
Reading blogs is an easy and accessible way for beekeepers to keep up-to-date and gain knowledge from beekeeping experts and real-life experiences. Blogs provide timely advice, prevention tactics, and essential tips for a successful beekeeping experience. And the biggest benefit of blogs - they’re usually free!
For those new to beekeeping, the UK-based sustainable beekeeping brand Hiveology runs a helpful blog for both beginner and experienced beekeepers, offering advice on topics like the history of beekeeping, how to harvest honey and how to set up your hive. Keeping up with blogs from companies like Hiveology will help get your beekeeping journey started on the right track.
Watch Videos
If you are a visual learner and find it easier to learn by watching videos then watching YouTube tutorials would greatly benefit you. Videos make difficult processes easier to learn by offering step-by-step demonstrations of crucial operations including bee handling, honey extraction, and hive inspections. Observing topics in motion helps visual learners understand tasks quicker and helps reinforce what they have read or learnt in a course.
YouTube provides a variety of viewpoints from seasoned beekeepers worldwide, enabling newbies to find different solutions to a large range of issues. Beekeepers can succeed with practical, hands-on tasks in their beekeeping journey with the support of these visuals.
Is Beekeeping for you?
You can practise beekeeping in many places, one of which is a backyard or garden that receives plenty of sunlight and is well ventilated. It’s important to note that beehives should be placed away from crowded places at all times to avoid disturbing the bees.
Hive inspections, maintenance and honey extraction take one to two hours each week during the busiest time of the year (spring and summer), but require less effort in the winter. In the UK, the initial setup costs of beekeeping can range from £200 to £500 and includes bees, protective gear, and hives. Furthermore, feeding, pest control and equipment upkeep are examples of ongoing costs.
In spite of the initial outlay, beekeeping can yield significant benefits by promoting local biodiversity and producing honey. Beekeeping is an investment and it requires time and passion, but it’s well worth it.
Buy Your equipment
A beehive, a bee suit, and bees are the three basic items that new beekeepers need to start out with. Without a beehive, your bees will have nowhere to live, rear their young or make honey. Although there are various types of beehives, we suggest FSC-certified cedar because of its long lifespan, resilience to decay, and natural defence against pests.
Wearing a high-quality bee suit with a veil and good ventilation is essential for personal safety as it protects you from stings while you examine the hive. It is important to also wear gloves to protect your hands.
Last but not least, bees are usually bought as NUCs or as packaged bees which includes a queen bee and some worker bees who are prepared to construct a new hive. Beginner beekeepers can confidently manage with these key pieces of equipment and build their colonies while guaranteeing the sustainability and safety of bees and the environment.
At Hiveology we have a range of top-quality products ideal for new beekeepers. This includes protective gear like a polycotton bee suit, and a range of National Beehives.
When to start beekeeping
Beekeeping is an activity that anyone can start researching and preparing for at any time of the year. Winter is a great time to order equipment, investigate bee choices, and gain theoretical knowledge. Then early spring is usually the best time to start a new beehive since there will be plenty of nectar and pollen available for the colony to flourish.
If you’re not ready to start your own hive yet, you can gain practical experience by attending classes or shadowing seasoned beekeepers in the spring and summer. No matter the season, there’s always something to be doing or learning that will help you succeed as an aspiring beekeeper.
Summary
To start beekeeping, you must choose a suitable hive, purchase bees from a reliable provider and find a great environment for the bees to thrive in. You can benefit from beekeeping by joining a course, reading blogs and watching videos to help increase your knowledge.
Ready to start your beekeeping journey? Check out our blog and explore the Hiveology bee suit and bee hives today.