Welcome to a hobby that will keep you healthy and fit, and is a life-long learning endeavor. We are sure you will find the hobby very satisfying and your efforts will be rewarded. In exchange for providing the bees a quality home, you will receive the sweetness of honey and the versatility of beeswax.
The list of benefits of keeping bees and their products is very long. For the gardener, you will have a better yield from many of your plants as a result of the increased pollination from the bees. Then, there is the honey which will be harvested. Your natural, unfiltered honey has high levels of antioxidants, which help reduce the incidents of some cancers. The beeswax can be used for candles, lip balm, skin cream, and many other things. Perhaps the most rewarding is the satisfaction and relaxation that comes with keeping bees. I often find myself enchanted and fascinated by their doings.
With all that said, there are challenges you will face as a beekeeper. Bees have parasitic mites that can, at high levels, cause the colony to die out. There are bacterial diseases that you might have to address. These should not deter you, but as a beekeeper you need to be aware of them and what the appropriate actions are to keep your bees healthy.
If you are ready to start your journey, you have come to the right place. We have a knowledgeable staff that can help you and we have an abundant selection of resources. Actually, we are one of the few bee supply companies that manage our own colonies (400-500 hives). We are out there working our hives just like you will be. We do and see what our customers are experiencing.
So now the big question, "what do I need to get started?" If you just want to get more information, we would suggest browsing the Resource section of our website. Also, any of the following books are excellent sources of information:
The New Starting Right with Bees, published by A.I. Root. This book is included with our beginner's kits.
The Beekeeper's Handbook, by Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile.
Beekeeping, A Practical Guide, by Richard Bonney.
Sufficiently armed with books and knowledge, you are ready for the equipment and bees. Betterbee offers four different beginner's kits, 2 BeeMax® Polystyrene and 2 Wooden kits. Which kit is right for you? Everyone approaches beekeeping differently, making it difficult to answer that question. We joke that if you ask 10 beekeepers a question, you will get 10 different answers. We can give you a few pros and cons of each. The wooden hives are a bit more durable but the polystyrene is better insulating. We have found that the durability is only an issue with beekeepers that move hives. Then there are wooden frames versus the one-piece Pierco. The wooden frames use a natural wax foundation that some beekeepers find favorable; however, one-piece Pierco last longer and are unaffected by wax moths. Review the options and if you have questions, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to answer them. The best time to get the equipment is in the winter. This gives you time to paint it and become familiar with the various components.
Bees are most often sold early spring (April and May), but orders are taken at the beginning of the New Year. We sell bees for pickup only. Mail order bees often suffer undue stress as they pass through the postal service. If you are unable to pickup bees at Betterbee, contact a local association, they will be able to help you find a local source. These associations are also invaluable resources. If you are unable to find an association near you, let us know and we will do our best to help.
Now that you have the equipment and bees, you are on your way to an exciting new hobby, or perhaps someday a business. Enjoy!
