Our Bees Are In Danger
Colony Collapse Disorder
Our bees, both honeybees are in danger! From pesticides, herbicides, loss of natural habitat, mono cropping, pathogens, and pests.
Every beekeeper needs to know the pressure on the bees and be involved in combating these dangers. NRDC is one of the organizations that assist us. A 2010 video.
Neonic Systemic Insecticide
Bee informed about Neonics, a systemic pesticide that is widely used in the United States. Excellent 2018 video from NRDC.
Local Beekeeping Club
With successful beekeeping, some details can be specific to your local area. And the nature of beekeeping means that you’ll be most successful if you have strong local resources to draw on, someone to come check your hive or help you find your queen if needed, for example. Reach out and find your local beekeeping association. In southwestern New Mexico or El Paso County, Texas. Paseo del Norte Beekeepers Association offers mentors who can be invaluable in helping you during your first season. To find a club in your area, click here.
Learn about Honey Bees
There are lots of books and online resources on beekeeping, and learning all you can about honey bees will help you start your hives off on the right foot. Study as much as you can so that when your bees arrive, you’ll be ready to go and know how to keep bees. There are many species of honey bees. You should understand about the Castes and their roles in the super organism. Paseo del Norte Beekeepers also offers beginning beekeeping courses. Take advantage of any and all opportunities to learn.
Tag along and assist a beekeeper relocate bees out of trees and structures. You will build your knowledge and skill level before you get your own bees.
Learn How Bees Make Honey
Before you jump in and start ordering supplies, let’s take a step back and understand exactly how a hive system works and what bees do. Bees make nests in nature, fly to flowers and collect nectar, then bring the nectar back to the hive and comb, where it slowly becomes honey.
Learn Where to Get Honey Bees
Many beginning beekeepers will buy a package, a NUC, or an established hive in the spring, but they need to be ordered the previous winter or, at the latest, in January. There may also be opportunity to capture a swarm or help an experienced beekeeper do a colony relocation. These relocations may be a cut out or a trap out. Experienced beekeepers recommend that you start with a minimum of two colonies. This will allow you to share resources should they be needed.
Paseo del Norte Beekeepers maintain a list of vendors that local beekeepers have found to be reliable to purchase NUCS, packages, and queens. View the latest list of vendors for honey bees and queens.
There is also a great list of honey bee breeders available using Google Maps. View the Honey Bee Breeders Map.
Learn about different Beehives
To keep honey bees, you need a bee hive system. In the wild, bees establish their colony in a cavity, usually in a hollow tree trunk or another sheltered place, but it can be anywhere. As a beekeeper, you will provide a hive for your bees so you can help maintain the colony and you can easily harvest the honey.
There are many choices of hive systems, click here to learn about the different systems and seek out an experienced beekeeper that will mentor you setting up your first hives.
Learn About Beekeeping Tasks
What is involved in taking care of your bees? Much like gardening, beekeeping tasks are best divided by the season. The best time to start your hive is in the spring so that the colony you begin with has time to build up, lay brood (baby bees), increase in number, and store honey before the winter sets in.
There are numerous videos on YouTube and Vimeo that will help teach you beekeeping skills. Paul Kelly and the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada has produced 32 videos. They are some of the best instructional tools, from lighting and using a smoker to raising queens. Link to University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre on YouTube channel.
Gather Your Beekeeping Supplies
What do you need to really get started beekeeping? Learn about the essential supplies and what you can do without for now. Remember: start small, so you can make adjustments if you change your mind later. Some supplies are better purchased in person, while others can be ordered online.
Be considerate of your mentor and purchase your equipment. Don’t rely on someone else to supply you hives and components. Also consider having an extra hive available for splits and swarm opportunities.
Have Fun
By all means, have fun with your honey bees. Be patient and realize that you will make mistakes along your learning path. Seek knowledge from others and share what you have learned.