Beekeeping Made Easy         

What you need to start!  Part I  The Beekeeper

Back

Part I    A beekeeper    (One who keeps bees)  (Could be you!)

I have often been amazed at the number of reasons given for a person to keep bees.    I don't attempt to tell you why you should keep bees.    It has been an individual decision and it will always remain an individual decision.    However, I must warn you about a common aliment that many persons have when they start beekeeping -- it is called bee fever. 

Bee Fever

I do not want to offend anyone when I discuss this topic.   Beekeeping can be exciting and exhilarating.    Even those of us who have kept bees for many years have bee fever because we have stuck with it for so long.   It affects individuals in various degrees.  Serious cases end with the beekeeper loosing connection with reality.  We hope you have some bee fever but we do not want you to carry it to excess.   How do you spot someone with a serious case of bee fever?

• They talk bees day in and day out.
• They dream bees day in and day out.
• They think of quitting a job in order to take up beekeeping full time.
• They place God, spouse, and kids behind bees.  (It does get this serious). 
• Bee fever is the greatest danger of beekeeping.   It can make an idiot out of the best intentioned person.  

 There are several things which also determine who should have bees and keep bees.

• Who can and should consider beekeeping!

  Nearly everyone with an interest in honey bees.  Honey bees are fantastic insects.   The are among a few insects which are managed by man for fun and profit.  Honey bees are extremely useful as pollinators and anyone with an orchard could benefit by keeping them.

   

• Who should not keep bees!

  Anyone who has an allergic reaction to bee stings (This is a general recommendation)   I know of at least one who has a great love for bees and has over come the disadvantage by taking treatments for the allergic reaction from a medical doctor.  He still carries a sting kit which can be purchased easily and wears protective clothing at all times when working with his bees.  If you love bees and want to keep them and have  reactions to the sting,  I would suggest you talk to your doctor and find out who the doctor would recommend for allergy treatments.

   

What you will need:

We will discuss each of these items as the course proceeds but you can use this list as a check list to see if you have everything you need before getting any bees.

For yourself:

• A bee smoker
• A bee veil
• A hive tool
• Possibly a bee suit but clothing to protect you from stings.
• Bee gloves

For the bees:  (required for each hive)

• A bottom board  (solid or screened)
• Entrance reducer
• A hive deep hive body *Many beekeepers keep bees in two deep boxes.
• Shallow or Medium honey supers   (count on at least 3 or 4 per hive)
• Frames to fit the hive bodies and supers  (Could use all plastic frames)
• Foundation for the frames (either wax or plastic) (not needed if you use all plastic frames with foundation)
• A feeder of some type
• Inner cover
• Top cover

Incidental equipment   (Equipment you may desire but can get along without)

• Queen excluder
• Queen and drone traps
• Hive stands
• Slatted Rack
• Bee Brush
• Hive carrier
• Uncapping knife
• Honey extractor (This is highly desirable and if you keep many colonies of bees you will at some point benefit by having one)

And -- the bees!

We will also discuss the various way bees are purchased and how to manage them.