Becoming a Beekeeper
Notes by Ann Naffziger
Ann recently taught an "Introduction to Becoming a Beekeeper" workshop at our house. This is the handout for the class.
First Consideration
Are beehives legal in your city? You can check your local municipal codes, but I know of no Bay Area cities that have laws prohibiting backyard beekeeping. On the other hand, most don't have laws explicitly allowing them, so local hobbyists have the philosophy that backyard beekeeping should be kept under the radar as much as possible so as not to cause a city to draft legislation against it.
Best Advice
Join a local beekeeping hobbyist group. You can attend the meetings for free and later pay a nominal fee if you want to officially join. There is a wealth of beekeeping information shared at the meetings, and there always people willing to answer your questions and help out beginners.
What space is necessary?
Very little, just enough for a hive or two, perhaps a 6 or 8 ft square area, preferably in a sunny location, and with the opening pointed toward a fence or wall. The hives should be on a stand low to the ground, and not on a shed or garage roof which would make the honey harvest difficult and more dangerous.
Equipment necessary
Beekeeping Suppliers
Mail Order:
Cost of Keeping Bees
Unfortunately, the start up costs are much higher than for chickens, although hopefully the money can all eventually be recouped in honey sales. It can easily cost about $500 to get started.
Beekeeping throughout the Year
The busiest time for beekeepers is spring and summer when the bees are working busily and producing honey. There isn't much work for the beekeeper in the fall and winter. Usually honey is harvested during the former period, very rarely during the later.
Acquiring Bees
Want to know more?
Honey bees are extremely complex social creatures that have semester-long college courses dedicated to them. The above information is only a tiny fraction of the knowledge out there. The best way to learn is to go to a few introductory beekeeping meetings and perhaps an introductory workshop, and then read an intro level book on the subject. Then dive right in and learn as you go by joining a local beekeeping group and asking to visit other beekeepers when they are working their hives.
Ann recently taught an "Introduction to Becoming a Beekeeper" workshop at our house. This is the handout for the class.
First Consideration
Are beehives legal in your city? You can check your local municipal codes, but I know of no Bay Area cities that have laws prohibiting backyard beekeeping. On the other hand, most don't have laws explicitly allowing them, so local hobbyists have the philosophy that backyard beekeeping should be kept under the radar as much as possible so as not to cause a city to draft legislation against it.
Best Advice
Join a local beekeeping hobbyist group. You can attend the meetings for free and later pay a nominal fee if you want to officially join. There is a wealth of beekeeping information shared at the meetings, and there always people willing to answer your questions and help out beginners.
- Alameda County Beekeepers Association – meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm. Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt, 552 Bellevue Ave, Oakland
- Contra Costa County, Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association – 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm, Heather Farms Garden Center, 1540 Marchbanks Dr., Walnut Creek
- Marin County, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties all have groups as well.
- The San Mateo group will be hosting a day-long workshop on beginning beekeeping on March 7 from 9:30-4:00 in Belmont. The workshop is free, but you must register ahead of time by contacting Jill Baxter at: bzswax@gmail.com
- The Beekeeper's Handbook, by Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitabile
- The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard or Garden, by Kim Flottum
- Beekeeping for Dummies, by Howland Blackistan
- Any other intro book from your local library
What space is necessary?
Very little, just enough for a hive or two, perhaps a 6 or 8 ft square area, preferably in a sunny location, and with the opening pointed toward a fence or wall. The hives should be on a stand low to the ground, and not on a shed or garage roof which would make the honey harvest difficult and more dangerous.
Equipment necessary
- Hive (there are several components to each hive not listed here)
- Hive stand
- Bee suit (at the very least a bee veil) and gloves
- Hive tool
- Smoker
- Bee Brush
- Honey Extraction Equipment (can usually be borrowed or rented)
- There are many other products that are "nice" to have but not necessary
Beekeeping Suppliers
Mail Order:
- Dadant – factories in Chico and Fresno
- Mann Lake Ltd. – based in Minnesota
- Beekind – located in Sebastopol - they hold seasonal classes for beekeepers
- Carrier's Beekeeping Supplies – in San Jose
Cost of Keeping Bees
Unfortunately, the start up costs are much higher than for chickens, although hopefully the money can all eventually be recouped in honey sales. It can easily cost about $500 to get started.
Beekeeping throughout the Year
The busiest time for beekeepers is spring and summer when the bees are working busily and producing honey. There isn't much work for the beekeeper in the fall and winter. Usually honey is harvested during the former period, very rarely during the later.
- April – Swarm season! Existing bee colonies reproduce themselves by raising a second queen. Half of the bees fly off with the old queen and look for a new home. Beekeepers can "catch" these swarms and install them in a backyard hive. April is also the time most suppliers sell packages of bees.
- April/May – Bees are creating their combs of wax on their foundations and collecting the plentiful pollen and nectar.
- May-September – Bees fill their combs with nectar which they then dehydrate into honey and "cap" with wax. Once a certain number of frames are filled and capped, the beekeeper can harvest it.
- Oct-Dec – Bees slow their collecting activities as the days get colder and shorter. Male bees and crippled or aged ones are forced outside to die. The population of the hives is significantly reduced, and on cold and rainy days the bees sustain themselves by eating their stored honey.
- Jan/Feb – Similar to the fall months, but bees will fly and collect pollen or nectar if/when any plants or trees are in bloom (i.e. eucalyptus)
- Mar/April – bees start foraging in greater numbers again as the weather warms and more things come into bloom.
Acquiring Bees
- Buy a 3 pound "package" of bees – these usually have to be ordered in advance from a supplier. Some will ship them in the mail, but others require you to pick them up in their store. They come in a smallish package less than 1 square foot and can be driven home in your car or trunk. Sometimes local beekeepers have extra packages to sell, so attend your local county's beekeeping group. These cost anywhere from $50-$75.
- Catch a local swarm – this takes a little know-how so it's best to ask a more experienced beekeeper to help you with it. The advantage is that it's free.
Want to know more?
Honey bees are extremely complex social creatures that have semester-long college courses dedicated to them. The above information is only a tiny fraction of the knowledge out there. The best way to learn is to go to a few introductory beekeeping meetings and perhaps an introductory workshop, and then read an intro level book on the subject. Then dive right in and learn as you go by joining a local beekeeping group and asking to visit other beekeepers when they are working their hives.