Resources for aspiring and beginning beekeepers

So you think you want to keep honey bees?

  • For a quick look at the pros and cons of getting into beekeeping, Click here

  • Is beekeeping right for me?, Click here

  • How much does it cost to start keeping bees?, Click here

  • Mentoring Program - scroll down

You made the commitment: Tips for first year beekeepers.

  • Attend Bee School

    HABA conducts a Bee School in February. Registration is available mid-to-late December.

    Bee School keynotes and classes are geared toward the new and novice beekeeper.  Learn about equipment, bee pests and diseases, record keeping and more. Visit the vendors booths ; talk to fellow newbees and those with lots of experience with honeybees.

  • Attend HABA meetings

    You will find fellow newbees novices and experience beekeepers at our monthly meetings. Talk to them, ask questions, get advice - that is how mentoring begins.

    HABA monthly meetings consist of informative talks on all kinds of subjects having to do with honeybees.

  •  Read - BEEKEEPING MAGAZINES/JOURNALS (available in hard copy and digital formats)

    American Bee Journal

    Bee Culture magazine

  • Online resources

    There is a lot of information available online. Some good, some not so good. The links to materials you find on this website have been vetted by HABA beekeepers.

    • Michigan State University Apiculture Extension posts a series of webinars that you can access by clicking here

      MSU’s beginner beekeeping series of four webinars starts with this one

    • The University of Minnesota Bee Lab has a series of videos that cover a comprehensive range of topics on beekeeping in northern climates. Their website videos can be accessed here.

    • The University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre offers a series of videos that cover everything from opening a hive to queen rearing. Access their video page by clicking here.

    • You can access a web-based Introductory Beekeeping Training Program sponsored by the Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association and Ohio State Beekeepers Association by clicking here. (it is also available on DVD)

    • In this video (click here) Randy Oliver of Scientific Beekeeping demonstrates a package installation.

    • This video (click here) shows a beekeeper checking on two colonies 36 hours after installing packages.

  • Mentoring Program

    Much of what you read will suggest that you need a mentor when starting out in beekeeping. HABA offers a formal Mentoring Program that connects new beekeepers with experienced beekeepers in their area via direct on-site visits. Mentors are beekeepers with a range of experience in beekeeping; they are assigned geographically to facilitate opportunities for getting together for apiary visits and to request an extra pair of hands or eyes while doing hive inspections. To become a Mentee in the Mentor Program complete an application at this link - click here. Or contact our Mentor Coordinator, Rich Dykstra, at his email: richdykstra @ hotmail.com [remove spaces] for more information.

    • MENTORS - For information, expectations, and application - click here.

  • Google Groups Email Forums

    HABA offers email groups that connects beekeepers with other beekeepers in their area via email forums. Groups are comprised of beekeepers with a range of experience in beekeeping. The groups are defined geographically to facilitate opportunities for getting together for field days, apiary visits and request for an extra pair of hands or eyes during things like hive inspections. For more information click here.

  • Getting started

Ordering bees - Most beekeepers start with a package and/or a nuc. Generally, it is recommended that you start with two hives. Locally source nucleus colonies are an ideal way to start. Local beekeepers often have nucs available through the Marketplace on this website. You may also want to check Northern Bee Network for locally available nucs and packages. Don Lam Bees in Holland, Michigan offers packages overwintered in the south in the spring of each year. AWS in Swartz Creek, Michigan offers packages of bees raised in northern California, as well as queens. It is a good idea to place your orders as early as possible.

What kind of hive? - The most common hive style locally is the Langstroth hive, which has a variety of configurations to choose from. This article in Bee Culture provides a bit of taste of various hive styles from the point of view of a beekeeper who keeps multiple hive styles in his apiary. This blog post reviews the three most common hive styles used in the United States.

  • Standard Longstroth hive equipment/setup

    • This video provides a detailed explanation of the hive setup used at the University of Guelph’s (Ontario) Honey Bee Research Centre. It provides some tips and tricks you won’t find elsewhere.

  • Interested in building your own equipment? Click here to visit In the Beekeeper’s Workshop on the Michigan Beekeeper’s Association website for downloadable plans for a variety of hive equipment and accessories that you can build yourself.

Installing packages and nucs:

What else do I need to be concerned about?

  • Rules and regulations for beekeeping

    Some communities have restrictions on keeping honeybees. It is important to familiarize yourself about this before you get your bees.

    • Check with your local municipality, township or county for ordinances regarding keeping bees. They are often covered in sections that address other agricultural/animal husbandry concerns.

    • Ask beekeepers who live near you what the rules are.

    • Read this document from the Michigan Pollinator Initiative : Starting and keeping bees in Michigan: Rules and Regulations

  • What do I need to do and when do I do it?

    There are several beekeeping calendars online that provide information on what to look for, when to look for it and what to do month-by month:

    • Cornell University’s document, Beekeeping Calendar for the Northeast provides insight into what is going on in the hive in each month of the year, as well as what to look for. The climate in Ithaca, New York is similar to that in West Michigan, making this an excellent resource for our beekeepers.

    • Michigan Beekeepers Association provides a somewhat more abbreviated version of the beekeeping year. Access it here.

    • Saginaw Valley Beekeepers have a calendar that includes details not included in others, such as budgeting. Access their calendar here.

  • Help! It is SO COLD and i just got my package of bees!

    It can be pretty daunting for new beekeepers to have to install their first colony in the snow....Many of us have been there and our bees survived. Yours will too....

    This video (click here) demonstrates how to install your package in a nuc box on a 35 degree day in a northern location.
    You may want to consider the no-shake method of package installs to speed things up. Whatever you do, have everything ready so that you can get them into the hive and close it up. You don't have to worry about chilling brood (there isn't any) but the ladies like to huddle for warmth and the longer the hive is open, the more chilled they will get. You might want to take a look at these posts on BeeSource.
    For a quick article from Honey Bee Suite on cold weather package installs, go to https://www.honeybeesuite.com/install-package-bees-cold-weather/

  • This video (click here) demonstrates how to install your package in a nuc box on a 35 degree day in a northern location.

  • Do I really have to test for the varroa mite in my first year? How often and when?

    Yes. You need to test for the health of your hives. Treat any hives with levels are above the recommended threshold. Go to our Pests, Diseases and Colony Loss page for more information on testing and treatment for Varroa mites.

    Varroa mites not only damage bees physically, but transmit viruses that result in disabling deformities in bees. Testing should be done at least monthly through bee season. If your levels are below threshold, you need not treat, sparing your bees being exposed to the chemicals necessary to kill varroa mites.

    Consider the health, not only of your own bees, but the bees in neighboring apiaries. If you let your bees become a ‘mite bomb’, you spread these parasites to other managed and feral hives in your area.

    • HABA offers mite testing field days during the summer months.

    • The Michigan Pollinator Initiative at Michigan State University offers an illustrated step-by-step guide to testing for mites in your hive. Click here

    • The University of Minnesota Bee Lab has a video that clearly illustrates the steps to completing the sugar roll test for mites. Click here.

      • University of Minnesota Bee Lab has another video that addresses conducting mite testing to avoid robbing during an August nectar dearth. Click here to view that video.

      • The testing kit used in these videos can be assembled at home. Instructions are available by clicking here.

    For more information, go to our Pests, Diseases and Colony Loss page.

What other diseases or pests do I need to look for?

There are a number of pests and diseases that can interfere with apiary and hive functioning, from large mammals to microscopic organisms.

When can I harvest the honey?

Most beekeepers wait until the end of a honey flow before harvesting honey from their hives. First year beekeepers may get a small harvest late in their first season. New colonies need time to build up efore providing a surplus of honey. The key is to remember that what you harvest is surplus honey, Be careful that you don’t rob the hive of needed winter food stores.

  • Click here to read the detailed chapter on harvesting honey in Beekeeping for Dummies. (the information is good, but the ads can be annoying)

  • This YouTube video gives you an idea what full combs of honey should look like before harvesting.

Do I need to feed my bees? When and how?

There are endless resources and opinions about feeding honey bee colonies. Here are some resources that may help you:

  • Click here for a pdf from MSU’s Zachary Huang regarding supplemental feeding.

  • This video from the University of Guelph focuses on fall feeding to build up winter stores in the hive.

How do I get my bees ready for our cold Michigan winters?

Most of the literature patiently explains that winter prep (beginning in July) is the best course of action in preventing winter hive losses. A few things to keep in mind:

  • Check for varroa levels early in the summer and treat early if needed.

  • Make sure your hives are strong and healthy going into the winter.

  • Eliminate entry of rodents or other pests into your hives.

  • Give your hives a sunny location, protected from the wind.

  • For more details:

    • Visit Hudsonville Honey’s page on Wintering Bees in Michigan (Revisited) by clicking here

    • Download Charlotte Hubbard’s document What We Do to Successfully Overwinter in SW Michigan by clicking here