Beekeeping consideration

Is beekeeping for you?
Do you want the benefit of fresh unfiltered honey and pollinators for my garden? Are you afraid of bees or maybe allergic?

There are a number of things you should consider before jumping into the world of beekeeping, and to help you along the way maybe a class or two on beekeeping 101, or even seek out your local or regional beekeepers association, attend a few meetings, ask questions and of course read, read and then read again.

Why Do You Want To Keep Honey Bees?
Can you answer yes to any or all of these questions:

You are on a quest to “Save the Bees”
You want to produce your own honey
You want the homeopathic benefits of natural health remedies
You want an self-sufficiency
You make honey and wax based products
You are looking for pollinators
or looking for a new hobby with benefits

What else should be considered?
Start-up costs, location, local law and time are a few to consider.  We have listed a few areas to think about before adding bees to the homestead.

Start-Up Costs
Beginners can find that a pre-built hive can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000, often with the numerous plans online for free an individual with medium building skills can build one for under $100, plus it add tons of satisfaction in the whole process of developing your colony.  Now add in smokers, clothing, books and miscellaneous equipment needed for the startup and you can add another $200-$500.

Having a budget while planning is a necessity, New England Beekeeping has a page to help you estimate costs.


Water Source
Do you have or can you create a water source? Honey bees need fresh water to do their honey magic. A creek or stream is not necessary. Many beekeepers keep a “garden” of moss that is watered daily so bees will have access to the water they need.

Local Laws
Are there any local laws about keeping bees? Each municipality is different, so contact city hall and find out the rules, this is especially crucial for urban homesteaders and farmsteads.

Talk to your neighbors.  Let them know what you are doing and share with them the benefits of having the bees as well as possibly address their own concerns.  It is possible that you have neighbors that are allergic to bee stings and it might be better to not go forward with your bee plans.  This holds true with any livestock in urban areas.  At one time we had neighbors adamant against chickens but after a year later there has been not a peep on the girls and their occasional squawks.

Is there enough space?
Depending on the hive style used you will need about 10 square feet around it and a clear path for your bees to fly. You don’t want to be constantly walking through their fight path or having obstructions on the way to the gardens.

Food Supply
Do you have something to feed them? Some crops they pollinate include Almonds, apples, cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries, cherries, pears, watermelon, blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry, cucumber, soybean and all kinds of flowers.  You also have to consider wintertime feeding, sugar water is especially important to help the hive keep warm and strong through the deep freeze of winter, this all depends on your location and seasons.

Support and mentor needed?
It will make your journey as a budding apiarist easier.  Check out and join a local beekeeping association, join and online group or take a workshop. Many local beekeeping chapters have a day-long class, called bee school, that will teach you everything you need to know. See if there is something similar in your area.  In NY check with Cornell Cooperative Extension

Have the Time?
Do you have the time needed to maintain it properly? You need to set aside about 30 minutes a week to tend to the hive needs the first year, once established that will vary.  You will also need to dedicate about 2 hours per hive for each harvest (usually twice a year).

So are you ready?  Already know the benefits of honey and it's products?  Get started, find a local group, check your cooperative extension and start planning to get those bees in your future!