Generate Buzz as a Beekeeper
Fresh honey and happy flowers are just two of the perks of a backyard beehive. These 5 guidelines will help you get started
If you can garden, you can be a backyard beekeeper, says Bee Thinking proprietor Matt Reed. Based on his experience with customers in Portland, Oregon, he's found that chickens have become the gateway animals to bees. "If you already have a chicken coop," he says, "there is a high chance that you're on your way to becoming a beekeeper."
Location hasn't been a hindrance to urban beekeepers, Reed says. "Bees are incredibly efficient and resilient; when it's cold, they clump together and can manage their internal temperature. People in New York City have apiaries on their rooftops throughout winter, and some people here in Oregon have them on their balconies; there are garden hives in the White House and on top of the Paris Opera House."
Honeybees pollinate a third of the nation's food supply and are crucial to our ecosystem. And as the number of bees nationwide decreased recently due to viruses and pathogens, more and more people have been starting their own apiaries at home and increasing the bee population, one hive at a time.
Reed, who holds beekeeping classes at his store, outlines five essential steps for those who are thinking about having their own apiaries at home.
Location hasn't been a hindrance to urban beekeepers, Reed says. "Bees are incredibly efficient and resilient; when it's cold, they clump together and can manage their internal temperature. People in New York City have apiaries on their rooftops throughout winter, and some people here in Oregon have them on their balconies; there are garden hives in the White House and on top of the Paris Opera House."
Honeybees pollinate a third of the nation's food supply and are crucial to our ecosystem. And as the number of bees nationwide decreased recently due to viruses and pathogens, more and more people have been starting their own apiaries at home and increasing the bee population, one hive at a time.
Reed, who holds beekeeping classes at his store, outlines five essential steps for those who are thinking about having their own apiaries at home.
2. Assess your home environment.
Once you've determined that beekeeping is legal in your area and you've addressed any neighbors' concerns, ask yourself:
• Where will you keep your bees?
• Has everyone in your family signed off on having an apiary?
• Has everyone in the family been tested for bee-sting allergies?
• If you have pets in the home, have you talked to the vet about the high chance your pets will step on a few bees?
"Our guild has some very young beekeeper members; families can certainly learn the beekeeping trade as a team. I think it's wonderful to involve kids in beekeeping, to have them learn the amazing workings of nature firsthand and convey respect for these extremely well organized and cute critters — without which we would loose a lot of our sources of nourishment," says Axt.
3. Educate yourself.
Search for a local beekeepers association and check its website for local bee clubs and regional beekeeping organizations. Read up on beekeeping: The more you educate yourself on bees and maintaining apiaries, the safer everyone will be once your apiary is up and buzzing.
Once you've determined that beekeeping is legal in your area and you've addressed any neighbors' concerns, ask yourself:
• Where will you keep your bees?
• Has everyone in your family signed off on having an apiary?
• Has everyone in the family been tested for bee-sting allergies?
• If you have pets in the home, have you talked to the vet about the high chance your pets will step on a few bees?
"Our guild has some very young beekeeper members; families can certainly learn the beekeeping trade as a team. I think it's wonderful to involve kids in beekeeping, to have them learn the amazing workings of nature firsthand and convey respect for these extremely well organized and cute critters — without which we would loose a lot of our sources of nourishment," says Axt.
3. Educate yourself.
Search for a local beekeepers association and check its website for local bee clubs and regional beekeeping organizations. Read up on beekeeping: The more you educate yourself on bees and maintaining apiaries, the safer everyone will be once your apiary is up and buzzing.
4. Get the necessary equipment.
Reed recommends that beginners get a hive tool, a hive stand, a smoker, a full jacket with veil and gloves and a bee brush. It's good to wear long socks in which to stuff pant bottoms.
"You do not want to find out what it feels like to have a bee crawl up your boot and into your pant leg," warns Axt, who sometimes uses rubber bands to close her pant bottoms and prevent bees from going inside her clothing.
Reed recommends that beginners get a hive tool, a hive stand, a smoker, a full jacket with veil and gloves and a bee brush. It's good to wear long socks in which to stuff pant bottoms.
"You do not want to find out what it feels like to have a bee crawl up your boot and into your pant leg," warns Axt, who sometimes uses rubber bands to close her pant bottoms and prevent bees from going inside her clothing.
This image shows Sabine transferring her newly acquired bees from their temporary home in the nuc box (a mini-hive that can be picked up in a box containing a pound or so of bees, a laying queen and frames with brood, honey and pollen) into their brand new supers or honey-collecting home.
"I am wearing my jacket with a veiled hat and gloves. I am also holding a standard hive tool that most beekeepers use," says Axt.
5. Get busy!
Seasoned beekeepers usually recommend starting with a nuc. There are thousands of bee types out there, and some are more efficient pollinators than others; not all bees are honey bees. "But if you're a beginner, it's really good to start with docile honeybees, commonly known as mason bees," says Reed.
Axt, who refers to herself as a "bee steward," affirms that beekeeping is a rewarding and infinitely interesting hobby. "There's so much to love about bees: They are resilient, they work hard, you can keep them in your own backyard or rooftop, and they make the sweetest thing — honey."
Houzzers, tell us: Do you have a backyard or rooftop apiary? What are your tips for beginning beekeepers? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments section below.
More:
6 Tips From Great Urban Gardens
How to Grow Your Own Edible Garden
3 Fuss-Free Ways to Garden
"I am wearing my jacket with a veiled hat and gloves. I am also holding a standard hive tool that most beekeepers use," says Axt.
5. Get busy!
Seasoned beekeepers usually recommend starting with a nuc. There are thousands of bee types out there, and some are more efficient pollinators than others; not all bees are honey bees. "But if you're a beginner, it's really good to start with docile honeybees, commonly known as mason bees," says Reed.
Axt, who refers to herself as a "bee steward," affirms that beekeeping is a rewarding and infinitely interesting hobby. "There's so much to love about bees: They are resilient, they work hard, you can keep them in your own backyard or rooftop, and they make the sweetest thing — honey."
Houzzers, tell us: Do you have a backyard or rooftop apiary? What are your tips for beginning beekeepers? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments section below.
More:
6 Tips From Great Urban Gardens
How to Grow Your Own Edible Garden
3 Fuss-Free Ways to Garden
"In Portland, as long as the beehive is not within 150 feet of the property line, you really don't have to consult with your neighbors. But usually, neighbors appreciate the notice. It's also a good chance for everyone to get more educated about bee colonies: to know that honeybees only sting when their honey-making mission is in jeopardy, and that many times, the stingers that people complain about are not even honeybees — they're hornets or wasps," says Reed.
Sabine Axt, beekeeper and member of the San Mateo Beekeepers Guild in California, also suggests that you let neighbors know about your plans. "You should always point the hive entrance away from the neighbors' property. That way, the hive isn't in the direct flight path of the honeybees. The bees will still visit your neighbors if they have a fountain or pool or if they have food sources, like flowers or trees, which is why I recommend coming over to your neighbors with a jar full of honey to sweeten the deal," says Axt.