How to Get Started in Beekeeping

#1: Consider your Motivation.

Are you an entomologist at heart? Always liked playing in the dirt and miss that feeling? Maybe you’re ready to move up from taking care of house plants or dogs or cats or kids to caring for 60,000 honey bees.

Or are you eager to “save the bees?” The spoiler alert is that keeping honey bees here is in no way “saving the bees,” but your motivations are your own, and you don’t have to listen to naysayers who tell you (as a friend did me), “You know that’s crazy, right – normal people don’t keep bees.” The heart wants what it wants, and if you want to keep bees, KEEP THEM.

#2: Read a few Books on Beekeeping.

This is a good way for you to gauge your own level of interest. It seems like the people who are obsessed with reading (or watching programs/videos) about beekeeping are the ones with the resolve to keep beekeeping through good times and bad – and through all seasons.

I remember staying up late into the night reading Honeybee Democracy (by Thomas D. Seeley, Professor of Biology within the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University). Man, if that book doesn’t make you want to keep bees, I don’t know what will. Here are some other suggestions:

• The Hive and the Honey Bee | Dadant
• Buzz by Thor Hanson
• The Biology of the Honey Bee by Mark Winston

#3: Take a Beekeeping Class, preferably one that’s Hands-On.

First of all: I highly suggest online classes, just for a quick and easy overview of what’s at stake in making a hive commitment. If the online classes leaves you wanting more, sign up for more advanced classes, especially those which are HANDS ON. Since you will be hands-on with your bees, you’ll want to get a feel for handling these extraordinary little ladies. Here are some options:

• University of California at Davis – this is the incredible CAMBP – this is the incredible, state-funded California Master Beekeeper Program. Science-based beekeeping at its best.
• Girl Next Door Honey – local, which is what you need.
• Or literally Google “online beekeeping classes” – this opens you up to many all over the globe.

#4: Check Local Regulations so you can Comply.

Beekeeping is one of those things that feels inherently good for the environment while also posing inherent risk. You know all the good: honey, pollination… and if you’re being honest, you also know the bad: bee stings, and risk of anaphylaxis.

As such, there are certain requirements put into place so people don’t get into beekeeping and then flake out, causing a public hazard. Before you invest too much time or money, make sure you familiarize yourself with the following:

• Beekeeping in the City of San Diego
• Register your colonies at: BeeWhere California
• San Diego Municipal Code, Article 4, Division 4: Beekeeping
• Municipal Ordinances BY CITY
• San Diego County Code, Chapter 9: Beekeeping and Apiaries

Why are there so many seemingly-conflicting “official” laws/ordinances relative to beekeeping? Likely because each municipality wants a say on the matter. You don’t have to be a lawyer to interpret all of the above and legally keep bees, but you SHOULD read them all and comply wherever the law applies to YOU. Some addresses are part of the county, some are part of the city, and remember: your HOA may have their own little requirements, but if you follow the more conservative guidelines (ex: distance from neighbors, and perhaps putting a screen between your hive/s and adjacent property lines, etc.), you will breathe easier.

Note that your apiary doesn’t have to be on your land, but you do need to be able to access it easily for inspections. Consider the logistics of getting to your hives, and keep things nice and easy for yourself, especially when starting out. A good rule of thumb is to start with two colonies so you can borrow from either when needed.

#5: Decide on a Hive System.

You have options for honey bee management in Southern California, all of which require you to do regular inspections and be able to treat your honey bees for mites. Options:

• Langstroth (pictured above; ubiquitous) – great for beginners and anyone who wants to swap frames with other beekeepers where needed. Also exclusively used by larger beekeeping operations, be they almond pollinators or honey producers. I personally use Langs, as do MOST beeks. But not all.
• Warre – I believe this is the kind of hive featured at the Japanese Friendship Garden.
• Top bar – Possibly the cutest (shown below). Harder to swap frames btwn colonies though, which gives me pause on ever investing in one of these. Maybe when I’m an old lady with a single colony… which doesn’t seem all that far away, frankly.

#6. Plan a Timeline.

How do you intend to get your bees? By far, the most user-friendly beginner experience is purchasing a nucleus hive, or “nuc.” This typically includes a queen with five frames of bees, including a good mix of brood and honey. Another option is a package of bees, while another still is going out and catching a swarm, or a split from an established beekeeper. Just keep in mind that with those latter two options, you’ll need to requeen them, and that’s not something most beginners are prepared (or able) to do.

Most nucs are purchased around January for delivery in the spring, so if you’re past that time, plan your calendar for getting your order in the following January. In the meantime, take more classes! And then get out your wallet and get ready to …

#7. Prepare your Equipment.

You’ll need more than a hive box and a smoker – in fact, in Southern California, you’ll definitely need a bee suit and unless you’re on the coast, consider investing in an ultra breeze suit so you don’t almost die of heat stroke in the summer. You’ll also need a stand for your hives, preferably with wells around each foot of the stand to hold oil to deter ants. You’ll also need a hive tool for opening your colonies, and prepare to research and invest in a favorite mite treatment to be applied before the end of summer, and again in the fall.

Have a water source ready for your bees, as well as adequate forage and/or some in-hive feeders to entice your newbees to stay. And don’t forget additional boxes for growth, freezer space for flash-freezing old frames, and treatment plans for mites and small hive beetles… and if you think I’m going to get into all there is to know about mite treatments in a beginner’s post, think again!

#8. Join Your Local Community of Beekeepers.

This is a hobby where you’ll never stop learning, and can be largely dependent on LOCAL conditions and considerations, so joining as many groups of other beekeepers as possible will help you immensely. From mite treatment methods to the best mead recipe, your beekeeper friends will also listen to you talk about bees when none of your friends and family will, and that’s worth its weight in gold.

See our Society’s main page here. And join our Facebook page here.

#9. Perform Regular Inspections.

Well how the heck do you do this? By now you’ll actually know how often to inspect your bees, what to look for, and how to mitigate issues because you will have read a few books, watched a few videos, and taken a few classes. Your local beekeeping society probably has monthly talks (ours does) that act as continuing education, so you’ll start feeling confident before you know it. And at the end of the day, remember that all of your experiences in the apiary are making you a better beekeeper.

I hope this was a helpful start. Thanks for visiting! xoxo