r/Beekeeping Wiki

I want to keep bees

Getting started on your journey

Lets get a couple of things straight right out of the gate:

  1. Firstly, If you think you want to keep bees to “save the bees”, please read our Not Those Bees page.
  2. Secondly, bees are livestock; You should read our Livestock, Not Pets page.

Common Questions

How do I start beekeeping?

A Warning

Beekeeping has an attrition rate of over 90% in the first 3 years. That is to say, after 3 years, 90% of beginner beekeepers are no longer beekeeping. This sounds high, but is explained by many other 90%’s that happen for beginner beekeepers who don’t undertake training: 90% of beekeepers lose 90% of their colonies in the first year.

On Education: If you are in a position where you can get training first, do so. Follow our roadmap, and you will reap the rewards.

Stay on menu: You might have some nice ideas about how you want to keep bees in a less than common fasion, and it’s great that you’re thinking about this at such an early stage. However, our advice is this: Stay. On. Menu. - That is, do what other people around you do, at least for a couple of years. Once you can keep bees alive reliably with a close to 100% overwinter rate, you are in a position to expand on your methods. Figuring out how not to kill bees in the standard way is hard enough - learn that first, and then start dipping into the buffet of unconventional shenanigans.

The Roadmap

Let us start by saying this: Beekeeping rewards three things - planning, patience, and pragmatism. If you want to get into beekeeping this year, please see the relevant section here.

Starting Beekeeping roadmap

There are many ways to start beekeeping; there are as many, minus a small handful, ways to start beekeeping badly. The roadmap above outlines the ideal way to start beekeeping. It gives you plenty of time to plan and prepare so that your bees (and you) stand the best chance at success.

As stated, if you have the opportunity to take training before you get bees, do so.

1. Join your local association and attend their meetings

Your local association is full of beekeepers who have been beekeeping for a long time. There might be master beekeepers in your association, or people who are undertaking master beekeeper programs. These people will be essential to your long term success. If you need a frame of fresh brood because you don’t have one? Association. Need to borrow a feeder from someone? Association. Need to know what is going to bloom when? Association.

You don’t need to keep bees already to join the association.

Your association will (should) also provide theory and practical courses which are covered below.

2. Attend your associations theory and practical courses

Your association should provide theory and practical courses for a very reasonable fee. You don’t need to keep bees to attend the course. The course will give you 6-12 hours of hands on beekeeping experience working alongside experienced local beekeepers who can give you far more condensed information than any youtube channel or book ever will.

These courses usually run in spring into the summer. This means that usually bees have sold out, or it’s just too late to buy them, by the time the course is done - that’s okay. It will give you plenty of time to get set up with the following. If you already have bees on order, and are attending the course, that’s fine too - just make sure you have a mentor sorted out to come and help.

3. Find a mentor from your association

Think of a mentor as a local guide. They are usually beekeepers with a few years under their belt who have seen beekeepers go through the struggles of their first 2 years. They might not be available 24/7, but they are there to help guide you through the process of these first 2 years; helping you understand what might go wrong, and where they might change the plan slightly.

They are a temporary crutch for a lack of education, not a wheelchair. That is to say, they are designed to be leaned on, not to push you around.

4. Buy books and watch YouTube

A list of recommended books can be found

5. Buy equipment

More information on “What should I buy” is below in this FAQ.

6. Buy bees

Now, buy your bees. You should be at a stage where you feel confident that you know what you’re looking at, and can debug trivial problems. Lean on your mentor for help, and lean on the subreddit for specific problems or areas where general bee knowledge is applicable.

But I have already oredered my bees and bought equipment…

We hear this all too often. People buy bees, buy a hive, and then come to the subreddit asking “tell me what I need to know”. Quite simply, there is too much information to put into a single comment that will get you from zero to even not-quite-competent. We aren’t going to lie - you have decided to do this the hard way round, but despair not. Many of us did the same thing as you, and with the right attitude towards self-education and with determination, you can get your bees through your first winter.

With that said, the problem with this situation is that the theory and practical courses have probably already started (or even finished) - if they haven’t that’s great, and you should attend them… but if they have, it is strongly advisable to sign up to the beginner courses with your local assocition in your second year regardless. The course will give you much more than just bee clevers… it will give you people to call on.

The recommendation in this case is to follow the guide as best as you can and fit everything in as well as possible. That is:

  1. Read as many books and watch as many youtube videos as possible. We have a recommend list of books and youtube channels in our Education section.
  2. Join the association and attend their meetings as soon as you can.
  3. Find a mentor who can come visit you and your bees and give you a hand or guidance
  4. Sign up to the beginner courses for your year 2 (your first spring) as soon as they become available.

Should I use Langstroth, or British National, or Warre, or top bar, or a Flow Hive?

If you are considering a flow hive, read our Flow Or Not To Flow page.

Otheriwse, use whatever the people around you are using - It’s as simple as that.

Based on region:

Top bar, Warre, etc all look fun; but you should know how to keep bees alive reliably before introducing more variables such as hive types as it changes the way you do certain things, and in some cases might prevent you from doing some things that are crucial for the bees longevity. In these cases, having a few years experience will help you work around those problems, so it’s best to stick to the well trodden path for a couple of years at least.

What breed of bees should I buy?

The breed of bee you buy won’t matter.

When you are running four colonies, and you use a breed of bee that yields an extra 10-20% more honey than other breeds, you are talking about an extra handful of jars of honey. You don’t need to care about productivity especially in your first 1-2 years. Not least because in your first 1-2 years, you will lose a swarm, and your nice fancy genetics will all disappear into the clouds anyway.

Just get local bees from a reliable local beekeeper (who is probably in your association) and you’ll be just fine.

I’m in a hurry…

Why? Is it because you’ve already bought bees and equipment?

If you are determined to get bees this year, come hell or high water, you should at least have a flick through this wiki so that you have an idea of what you’re in for before you dive in. This hobby is not something that you should take up on a whim, or taken lightly. Animals will be in your care, and you need to be aware of how to do so before you buy them.

But, if you do decide it’s for you - we support anyone who makes an effort to support themselves. As such, you might find the next question also helpful:

What books should I read?

See our Education page.

What equipmemnt should I buy?

See the Equipment section