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Beekeeping
(Apiculture)

A Step-by-Step Guide Beekeeping
Beekeeping is a rewarding hobby that offers fresh honey, pollination for
gardens, and a fascinating look into the life of bees. If you’re
wondering how to start beekeeping, this step-by-step guide will walk you
through everything you need to know to keep bees successfully, from
choosing the right
beekeeping equipment to managing your hive year-round. Proper
care and management are crucial to keeping bees alive, especially given
the challenges faced by honey bee colonies, such as threats from the
varroa mite and other environmental stressors.
Key Takeaways
Beekeeping is a fun and rewarding hobby that lets you enjoy fresh honey
while helping the environment. Keeping bees comes with challenges like
varroa mites, small hive beetles, and swarming, but regular hive
inspections and seasonal care help keep your colony healthy. Early
spring is the perfect time to start, and Italian honey bees are a great
choice for beginners because they’re gentle and productive. If you’re
beekeeping in your backyard, check local regulations, choose a good hive
location, and make sure your bees have plenty of food. With the right
setup and a little patience, beekeeping can be an exciting and rewarding
experience!
How Much Does It Cost to Start Beekeeping?
Beekeeping requires an initial investment of approximately
$800-$1,000. Luckily, most of these initial purchases will
last you throughout your beekeeping journey. Here is a
glimpse into what you can expect to spend for each crucial
piece of equipment.
Hive
Depending on the type of hive you choose, your investment
will vary. A two-box Langstroth hive costs about $180, while
the Classic Flow Hive costs $649.
It is recommended to begin beekeeping with two hives. You’ll
be able to compare the progress of each hive and try
different methods, and of course, if you lose one hive, you
can continue your journey without starting from zero.
You’ll need to spend time getting to know the different
parts of your hive body. From the queen excluder, brood box,
honey super, and more.
Equipment
Some pieces of equipment are non-negotiable. You’ll
need three essential tools: a brush, a hive, and an
uncapping tool.
The hive tool is the most versatile— you can use it to open
the hive, separate boxes, and scrape off extra propolis. You
can buy these three tools for approximately $35 in total
Beekeeping Suit & Protective Gear
Most beekeepers choose
a white suit, but the color is up to your discretion.
A bee suit should have deep and durable pockets,
breathability, comfortable and flexible gloves, a properly
fitting veil, and easy washing instructions. On
average, a beekeeping suit costs $50.
Bees
It is possible to buy individual and entire bee colonies
locally, but most new beekeepers purchase them
commercially.
You
can buy a nucleus colony (nuc) or packaged colony.
We will get into that later, but the average price for a
three-pound package of bees is $110. A nuc will set you back
about $200.
Miscellaneous
Investing in other tools and accessories will make your life
easier. Consider a
hive stand, a queen excluder, a feeder, a smoker, and a
honey extractor.
*Keep in mind that beekeeping kits are also available. Kits
are the easiest and most cost-efficient option. You won’t
get to hand-pick each item, but you will save approximately
$200.
Choosing a Hive
The hive you choose as a first-time beekeeper depends on
several factors.
Consider:
- The number of bees you plan to integrate.
- The amount of honey you expect the hive to produce.
- Your strength and physical abilities.
- The amount of space you have for the hive.
- How much interference you are okay with causing in the
hive?
- How much time do you have to maintain the hive?
Langstroth Hive |
The Langstroth is the most common hive in the US. It is a
collection of boxes, also known as supers, stacked on top of
each other. It forces the bees to build upwards, which isn’t
natural, but it is an excellent choice for commercial
beekeeping.
Most beekeepers use Langstroth frames with a foundation,
meaning that the bees can focus more on honey production
than building a structure. Frames with a foundation
are compatible with a honey extractor. Foundationless frames
will require you to use the old crush and strain method. The
design of this hive allows you to remove each frame
individually to check progress or harvest.
Because of its popularity, finding replacement parts and
advice about the Langstroth hive is easy. One
negative aspect is that you will significantly disrupt the
bees during an inspection by removing all the heavy upper
boxes, weighing between 60 and 100 pounds each.
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Warre Hive |
Designed to mimic a hollow tree, the Warre hive makes bees
feel at home. Instead of using frames, this hive uses top
bars. Because of this, you
can only harvest boxes, not individual frames. Warre
hives produce about half of the amount of honey as
Langstroth hives.
After harvesting a box from the top, you must add a new box
to the bottom of the stack. Luckily, you will only
need to do this once a year, and a full box is only about 30
pounds each, but you’ll need some muscle nonetheless.
The Warre hive is a great choice if natural beekeeping is
your goal. You can even harvest
the honeycomb and use it for other side projects.
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Top Bar Hive |
Instead of a vertical system, like the other two options,
the top bar hive is a horizontal system with approximately
25 bars, ten or more of which will be used by the queen for
the brood.
It is raised off the ground and requires no leaning or heavy
lifting. However, this hive produces the least
amount of honey compared to the Warre and Langstroth hives.
The combs hang freely, and you need to handle them
delicately. The design allows for cross-combs, making the
harvesting process more tedious. This hive requires more
inspections, but they’re easily done and minimally invasive. One
of the major downfalls of this option is that it can not be
expanded
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This is only an introduction to the three most popular types
of beehives. There are multiple other options, including the
Flow Hive, Dome Hive, Hex Hive, Horizontal Hive, and more.
*Remember, all hives should be placed on dry, level ground.
Ordering a Bee Colony
Just like people, there are different
types of honey bees.
The six most popular races
are:
-
Italian bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) – are the
bee equivalent of the person voted to be the “most
likely to succeed” in high school. They are pretty
mild-mannered and are great at populating the hive,
which makes them great at honey production.
-
Carniolan (Apis mellifera canica) – bees would be
the runner-up in popularity. They are gentler than the
Italians, not known to rob other hives as much as the
Italians, and really build up numbers quickly.
-
Caucasian bees (Apis mellifera caucasica) – This
is the teddy bear of the bee races. It’s a very gentle
bee and is very similar to the Carniolan variety, with
two exceptions. Their baby boom is a little slower than
the Italian variety, and therefore, there are those who
find them to be less profitable in the honey arena.
-
German black bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) – It
is able to survive long, cold winters more often than
other strains of honey bees. However, due to their
defensive nature and susceptibility to brood diseases
like American and European foulbrood, this stock has
lost significant favor with beekeepers all over the
world.
-
Africanized bees
(The Misunderstood Bee) – This highly aggressive
strain of honey bee has some advantages, if one learns
to work with them. They begin foraging at a younger age,
typically produce more honey, and have a significantly
smaller colony size, even though they reproduce at a
faster pace.
-
Buckfast bees (The mutt of honey bee stock) – The
characteristics such as resilient behavior against pests
and other elements that make this a quality strain of
honey bee. Yet, if you can tolerate the increased
aggressive behavior and monitor the colony, this bee
stock can last years without replacement.
Depending on your climate, you’ll want to choose a specific
type of bee.
Once you’ve settled that, you need to find a reputable
seller. Once again, asking for advice from your local apiary
community will help significantly. Remember that the
temperatures are usually too warm to ship bees when summer
arrives.
Schedule
your bee delivery for the beginning of spring.
Package of Bees vs. Nucleus Colony
Package of Bees |
Nucleus Colony |
Swarms |
$110 on average |
$200 on average |
$0.00 |
Can be shipped |
Can’t be shipped |
A swarm is a group of bees
that have left their original hive, usually due to
overcrowding, and are looking for a new home.
Capturing swarms can be an exciting and
cost-effective way to start your beehive, but it
requires experience in swarm management. |
The colony hasn’t accepted the queen |
Worker bees and queen bees already know how to
work together |
Easy to install in any type of hive |
Difficult to install in Warre or Top Bar Hives |
Bees must start from scratch when introduced to
the hive |
Arrives with frames or brood and honey stores |
Bees may abscond after installation |
Easy installation for the beekeeper and bees |
Must be ordered well in advance of the season |
Can be ordered later in the season |
Installing the Bees
Every beekeeper has their method of installing bees. Bees are calmer at night so installing them in the
evening is best.
If you want to slow the bees down before introducing them, you can
slightly spray them with sugar water; however, this step is optional.
Here is the method that has worked well for me.
- After changing into protective clothing, remove five frames from one
side of the brood box.
- Remove the plywood cover of the bee package and tap the box to
encourage the bees to move toward the bottom of the box.
- Remove the sugar feeder to access the queen cage. You may need to
use your hive tool to pry the feeder from the wall.
-
Take a moment to inspect your queen bee. Make sure she is
alive and note some of her features. You’ll need to be able to spot
her easily throughout your beekeeping journey, so be sure to learn what
the queen looks like and practice your queen-spotting skills.
- Remove the plug from the queen cage to expose the candy. Place the
queen between two of the remaining frames in the box, towards the
center of the box. The cage should have a hook of some sort that
allows you to secure her there easily.
- Pour the bees into the hive.
Carefully reinsert the frames and close your hive.
While it will be difficult to resist, do not check on your bees for a
few days. Doing so may irritate them, cause them to leave the
hive, or even reject their queen. After four or five days, open the hive
to ensure that the queen has been released; if she has not, help her.
Finally, decide which food source you will use to get the bees started
in their new hive. They will enjoy frames with honey or syrup until
they’ve built up their own reserves.
The Roles And Responsibilities Of Each Honeybee
Within a honeybee hive, various types of bees play unique roles in
maintaining its overall functioning.
Understanding these distinct responsibilities is crucial to appreciate
the complexity of a hive’s social structure. Here are the primary types
of honeybees you’ll encounter:
Bee Type |
Description |
Queen Bee |
The queen bee is the matriarch of the hive. She’s
responsible for laying eggs to sustain the population and
maintain harmony among the bees. Her pheromones also serve
as a communication tool. |
Worker Bees |
Worker bees are predominantly female bees. They take on a
range of tasks, such as nursing larvae, foraging for nectar
and pollen, building and maintaining the comb, and
protecting the hive from intruders. |
Drone Bees |
Unlike worker bees, drones are male bees. They have no
stingers and are primarily responsible for mating with
queens from other colonies. Drones do not forage or carry
out any other tasks within the hive. |
The Life Stages Of Honeybees: From Egg To Adult
Honeybees undergo a fascinating transformation from humble eggs to fully
developed adults, each stage serving a specific purpose in the hive
ecosystem.
Let’s explore the life stages of honeybees:
-
Egg: The
queen bee lays tiny eggs in the comb cells. These eggs typically
hatch within three days.
-
Larva: Once
the eggs hatch, the larvae emerge. They are fed a special diet known
as royal jelly, which allows them to grow rapidly. Larvae are
entirely dependent on worker bees for their nourishment.
-
Pupa: After
approximately six days, the larva spins a cocoon around itself,
entering the pupal stage. Inside the cocoon, the fundamental
structures of the adult honeybee develop.
-
Adult: Finally,
the fully formed adult bee emerges from the cocoon. These bees are
ready to assume their respective roles within the hive, ensuring its
survival.
How to Start Beekeeping in Your Backyard
Backyard beekeeping is a great way to keep bees close to home, but it
requires proper planning:
-
Check
Local Regulations: Some areas have zoning laws or require
permits for beekeeping.
-
Choose a
Suitable Location: Pick a quiet, sunny spot with wind
protection and nearby water sources.
-
Set Up
Your Hive Properly: Use a hive stand to keep the hive
elevated and prevent pests.
-
Provide
Food Sources: Ensure your bees have access to flowering
plants throughout the seasons.
-
Respect
Your Neighbors: Educate them about bees and position your
hive away from property lines.
Step 1: Learn the Basics of Beekeeping
Before you start beekeeping, it’s essential to educate yourself.
Many beekeepers recommend taking an online beekeeping course or
connecting with a local beekeeper to gain hands-on experience.
Consider joining a local association, as they can provide guidance
on how to handle local bees and navigate your local climate. What is Beekeeping?
Beekeeping, also known as apiculture, is the practice of
maintaining colonies of honey bees in man-made hives. This
fascinating hobby combines science, art, and manual labor,
requiring a deep understanding of bee biology, behavior, and
ecology. Beekeepers manage their hives to harvest honey and
other bee products, support crop pollination, and contribute to
environmental research. By keeping bees, you’ll gain insight
into the intricate world of honey bees and their vital role in
our ecosystem. Benefits of Beekeeping
Beekeeping offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond
just harvesting honey. Here are some key advantages:
-
Honey Production: One of the most rewarding aspects
of beekeeping is the ability to produce your own honey. This
natural sweetener is not only delicious but also packed with
health benefits.
-
Pollination: Honey bees are essential pollinators
for many crops, gardens, and wildflowers. By keeping bees,
you contribute to food security and the health of local
ecosystems.
-
Environmental Conservation: Beekeeping helps
conserve honey bee populations, which are crucial for
maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance.
-
Educational Opportunities: Beekeeping is a hands-on
way to learn about biology, ecology, and environmental
science. It’s a great educational tool for both adults and
children.
-
Community Engagement: Joining local beekeeping
associations and participating in community events fosters
social connections and a sense of community. You’ll meet
like-minded individuals and share your passion for
beekeeping.
Step 2: Go Over the Basics
Before diving into beekeeping, it’s important to prepare
yourself for the challenges and responsibilities that
come with this rewarding hobby. Check for Allergies
Bee stings are an inevitable part of beekeeping. If you’re
allergic to bee stings, it’s crucial to take necessary
precautions or consider alternative hobbies. Consult with a
medical professional to determine the severity of your allergy
and discuss possible treatment options. Safety should always be
your top priority. Get a Mentor
Having an experienced beekeeper as a mentor can be incredibly
valuable, especially during your first year. A mentor can
provide hands-on training, share their knowledge, and offer
support when you encounter challenges. They can guide you
through the nuances of hive management, helping you become a
confident and skilled beekeeper. Step 3: Choose the Right Beekeeping Equipment
Beekeeping requires specific tools and gear to ensure
you and your bees stay safe and productive.
Here are
some beginner-friendly beekeeping equipment kits:
- New Bee Beginner Beekeeping Starter Kit – A great
choice for first-time beekeepers.
- Premium Starter Kit – Includes essential tools plus
a hive tool, protective gear, and more.
- Deluxe Starter Kit – A complete set with everything
needed for serious beekeepers.
-
Queen Excluder – Essential for managing
hives for honey production. It keeps the queen out
of honey supers to prevent brood from contaminating
honey, encourages bees to draw comb above the
excluder, and helps maintain cleanliness in honey
storage.
Essential Equipment: Hive Tool
-
Beehive: Choose a hive style that suits your needs
(Langstroth, Top-Bar, Warre, etc.).
-
Hive Stand: Keeps the hive off the ground for
ventilation and protection.
-
Hive Tool: Helps separate frames and pry open hive
entrances.
-
Hive Cover: Protects the hive from rain, wind, and
predators.
-
Protective Gear: Bee suit, gloves, and veil to
prevent stings.
-
Smoker: Calms bees during hive inspections.
-
Queen Excluder: A queen excluder is essential for
managing hives for honey production. It helps keep the queen
out of honey supers, preventing brood from contaminating the
honey. This tool also encourages bees to draw comb above the
excluder and maintains cleanliness in honey storage.
Step 4: Acquire Your Bees
To start beekeeping, you’ll need bees!
The most common route, is called a package—a small screen
box with about 10,000 loose bees. The queen, which typically
bears no relation to the other honeybees, stays separated in
a cage.
You can source
them in different ways:
-
Purchase a Nucleus Hive (Nuc): A small hive
with a healthy queen, worker bees, and young bees,
including baby bees. Monitoring baby bees is crucial
as they represent the future of the colony and are
essential for its overall health.
-
Buy a Package of Bees: Includes a caged
queen and a mix of bees.
-
Capture a Swarm: Some experienced
beekeepers collect swarms to populate their hives.
-
Split an Existing Hive: If you know an
experienced beekeeper, they may offer a split hive.
Step 5: Set Up Your Hive and Introduce the Bees
- Place your hive in a location with morning sunlight,
wind protection, and access to flowers and water.
- Introduce the queen bee and colony carefully,
allowing time for adjustment. During hive
inspections, it is crucial to monitor baby bees to
ensure they are developing properly and are not
impacted by pests like small hive beetles.
- Ensure your hive entrances are clear and properly
positioned.
Step 6: Perform Regular Hive Inspections
Regular hive inspections help maintain the health of
your colony.
Check for:
-
A Healthy Queen: Look for a healthy queen
laying eggs and queen cells if the colony is
replacing her.
-
Brood Health: Ensure fertilized eggs and
sealed brood indicate a thriving hive.
-
Honey Storage: Monitor honey production and
the amount of honey stored for winter.
-
Pest & Disease Prevention: Watch for small
hive beetle, European foulbrood, and other common
issues.
-
Varroa Mite Control: Monitor and control
varroa mites to maintain hive health. Proactive mite
control measures are crucial to prevent colony
failures and the transmission of viruses that can
severely impact bee populations.
Step 7: Make Sure Your Hives Make It Through the Seasons
Each season requires different hive management strategies:
-
Spring: Inspect
for winter damage, check for a healthy queen, and ensure good nectar
flow.
-
Summer: Watch
for swarming behavior, provide ventilation, and ensure the honey bee
colony has adequate food.
-
Fall: Prepare
for winter by ensuring enough honey collection and protecting
against pests. Proactively manage varroa mites by conducting regular
checks and applying treatments to keep their population under
control.
-
Winter: Insulate
the hive if needed, reduce hive entrances to prevent drafts, and
monitor the colony without opening it too often.
Step 8: Watch Out for Common Beekeeping Challenges, Including Varroa Mites
Varroa mites are tiny, parasitic pests that attach to honey bees and
feed on their bodily fluids, weakening the bees and spreading harmful
viruses. If left untreated, a varroa mite infestation can devastate a
colony, making regular hive inspections and mite control essential for
beekeepers. Besides these mites, beekeeping comes with many other
challenges, though there are some proven solutions:
-
Swarming: Ensure that your bees always have
enough room to avoid swarming. Add another box or
harvest a few frames if the hive becomes too congested.
-
Robbing: If you see hairless bees, hear a louder
buzzing noise than usual, or see wasps near your hive,
it may be under attack. You must intervene as soon as
possible to save your colony. To prevent this from
happening, be sure not to drop any honey or sugar syrup
near the exterior of the hive. When there is a nectar
shortage, other bees will hunt for hives to rob.
-
Small Hive
Beetle Infestations: Use traps and keep the hive strong and
well-managed.
-
Bee Stings: As a beekeeper, you will endure your
fair share of bee stings. Wearing your protective gear
is one of the best ways to avoid bee stings.
Additionally, bees sting when they feel threatened. Keep
your calm when you are around them, and move gently. If
you do get stung, remove the stinger as soon as
possible, clean the sting spot with soap and water, ice
it to stop the swelling, and consider taking Benadryl.
-
Queen
Issues: If the population of your hive has fallen, if there is
minimal brood and eggs, if you have laying workers, or
if there’s a noticeable change in the temperament of
your bees, you may be queenless. While the bees may find
a new one on their own, you must closely monitor the
situation and consider purchasing a new queen bee.
-
Honey
Shortages: If bees don’t have enough stored honey,
supplement with sugar water.
One Final Note..
Remember that you will probably not be able to harvest honey
within the first year of installing a hive. A colony needs
approximately 75 pounds of honey or about nine full honey
frames to survive the winter.
Without harvesting in the first year, you’ll increase the
likelihood of your bees surviving the winter and most likely
have a surplus of honey in the next beekeeping season.
Keeping bees is a fulfilling and possibly lucrative hobby.
The most significant learning curve is finding the delicate
balance between keeping an eye on your bees without invading
their space too often.
Beekeeping is an exciting and rewarding journey. By following this guide
and using the right beekeeping equipment, you’ll be on your way to
becoming a good beekeeper. Whether you're keeping bees for honey
production, pollination, or simply for the love of honey bees, this
step-by-step guide will help you start beekeeping with confidence.
Connect with local beekeepers, take an online beekeeping course, and
enjoy your new hobby!
Beekeeping Youtube Channels
-
628 Dirt Rooster Bees - 628 Dirt Rooster
channel is a beekeeping channel dedicated to learning by
doing and having fun in the process.
-
A Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog - Follow Ian’s
channel to submerse yourself into the world of a
Canadian commercial beekeeper life!
-
Barnyard Bees - Beekeeping honey bees at
Barnyard bees is very enjoyable. We love teaching
beekeeping.
-
Brook Hill Honey - Mr. G's Honeybees -
Hobbyist Beekeepers documenting their journey. The ups,
the downs, and the joys of beekeeping. Swarms, splits,
honey harvesting, rendering wax and the battle with the
Varroa mite.
-
Bruces
Bees - I have had so much fun working with honey
bees and it seems that each experience is an adventure!
I decided that I would create brucesbees so that others
could go along for the ride.
-
Bug Farmer - This channel is an exhibition of
my adventures in beekeeping and urban and sustainable
farming. No reason why the average person living in a
neighborhood or populous area cannot raise bees and
create edible and sustainable landscaping.
-
The
Bush Bee Man - This isn't your typical beekeeping
101 channel, but you will learn about beekeeping
supplies we use, especially when it comes to extracting
honey.
-
Castle Hives - This channel is all about
Beekeeping, with some added vacation videos and every
now and then some every day stuff.
-
David Burns - We are passionate about
beekeeping and honey bees. We help people learn how to
keep bees for pollination, for fun or for extra income.
-
Devan Rawn - This channel is to present
beekeeping in a fun way, to answer questions
-
Flow Hive
- Our invention - the biggest innovation in beekeeping
for 150 years - was originally launched in 2015 and is
Indiegogo's highest-funded project ever. Includes our
patented Flow Frames, allowing you to collect fresh
honey straight from the hive.
-
Frederick Dunn - This channel covers a
wide array of topics and subjects. I cover lots of
insect-related topics as well as general rural living.
-
The Honeystead -
Exploring the beauty that the world has to
offer, whether it's through the art of beekeeping, the
wonders of herbalism, the adventure of foraging, or any
other captivating journey you're curious about.
-
Jason Chrisman - Beekeeping how to's and what to
do's. Basic to advanced beekeeping tutorials. Learn bee
biology, bee hive equipment, bee pests, and lots of
other topics. Join me as I work with the bees in and out
of the hive.
-
Jeff Horchoff Bees - The videos I make
primarily highlight the many aspects of bee keeping that
I endevor in, but there is also the occasional video on
woodworking that relates to bee keeping. Please, join me
on my adventures as the bee keeper for the monks.
-
Jerome Bee Farm & Homestead
- Our videos chronicle our modern homesteading journey
with beekeeping, gardening, chickens, and just about
anything to do with the hard work maintaining our land
and the tools and equipment we use.
-
JP the Beeman - My channel showcases my
obsession with honey bees, removing them from manmade
structures of all types & from natural structures such
as trees.
-
Kamon Reynolds - Tennessee's Bees -
Beekeeping videos for the successful beekeeper! Beelife
is amazing and there are new tools, techniques, and
beekeepers to meet!
-
Massachusetts Prepper - This channel
started out strictly as a prepping channel and quickly
evolved into a variety of content. I still do product
reviews of all kinds but over the last couple of years
(2018 through 2019) the channel has evolved into a
beekeeping channel
-
Mike Barry - This channel was initially set
up to share videos with family and friends out of state.
I like to share some of my bee videos, so I have cleaned
it up a bit and kept a few of those on here and will add
some as I make them.
-
OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY - We share our adventure
to a sustainable life, growing our own food from
vegetables to meat as we HOMESTEAD.
-
Pine City Apiary - This channel is to
document my journey, my discoveries with bees and
beekeeping. Learning each time as I go. Join me in that
adventure!
-
Richard Noel - Beekeeper coming to grips with
life as a professional. Work hard, play hard. The
rewards are there in life. You only get the one chance,
so I tend to do the best I can!
-
Texas Beeworks - Professional beekeeper Erika
Thompson takes you inside the hive with exciting
educational and instructional beekeeping videos.
-
Treatment Free Beekeeping - Learn about
Treatment-Free Beekeeping, keep your bees strong and
your honey clean. This channel contains all sorts of
talks, how to videos, podcast episodes, and tutorials,
teaching the concepts and practices that will make
keeping bees fun, enjoyable, and maybe even profitable.
-
Vino Farm - Beekeeping · Growing:
Organic Vegetables, Apples, Grapes, Blueberries · 18th
Century Home Improvement · 21st Century New England
Homesteading
-
Walls
Bee Man - Actual beekeeping videos by a real
beekeeper.
Beekeeping Supplies
Beekeeping Organizations
Missouri Local
As of March 2016, Missouri had 35 local beekeeping associations. See the
Missouri State Beekeepers Association website for a list of the local
associations and information on when and where they meet: mostatebeekeepers.org/local-clubs.
Missouri State
- The Missouri State Beekeeping Association holds an
annual conference, publishes a bimonthly newsletter and
offers robust member-exclusive content on its website: http://mostatebeekeepers.org
National
Partnership associations
-
FieldWatch, a nonprofit organization that operates
DriftWatch, a mapping tool for communication among
beekeepers, farmers and pesticide applicators on the
presence of apiaries and pesticide-sensitive crops
-
Honey Bee Health Coalition, a group of almost 40 food,
agriculture, government and conservation organizations
and agencies focused on achieving and supporting a
healthy population of honey bees and other pollinators
-
Missouri Pollinator Conservancy Program, an MU
Extension program that seeks to minimize economic losses
for farmers and beekeepers by adequately managing
row-crop pests while minimizing the effect of pesticides
on honey bee colonies
-
Pollinator Stewardship Council, a nonprofit group that
strives to protect pollinators vital to a sustainable
and affordable food supply from the adverse effects of
pesticides
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