Start Smart With Honey Bees

Record keeping helps you learn about your bees and manage your colonies more efficiently, You can create your own, use a template or try a mobile app.

The cost to start beekeeping with one beehive is about $800 for the first year. One set of hive components costs around $270. A bee package is approximately $180. Protective gear and basic tools cost $200, while miscellaneous costs for supplies and sales taxes are about $150. Try our cost calculator.

Follow our steps on how to start beekeeping and avoid many of the issues that discourage beginning beekeepers.

Yes. Beekeeping (technically called “apiculture”) is considered a form of agriculture based on standard definitions and everyday usage. Beekeeping is also treated as agriculture (or farming) by the Federal and State governments via regulation and tax codes.

Beekeepers at all levels of experience make mistakes. As a newbie though you’ll probably be more prone to some of them. Here’s a list to help you avoid some of them (including our own foul-ups).

Harsh winter weather stresses your bees. Keeping your local climate in mind, take these steps to winterize beehives and help your colonies survive until spring.

A nectar dearth can occur any time that plants slow down production of their sugary, sweet liquid needed for making honey. Learn to recognize and deal with it.

To inspect a beehive, open it and carefully remove frames for visual examination. Inspections are best done midday in favorable weather conditions. Try to minimize the disruption to the bees’ activity. Among other things, inspections help assess the colony’s health and identify issues requiring remediation.

As with any new hobby, understanding some basic beekeeping terms can accelerate your learning process. Here are 12 you should know.