How to Become a Beekeeper: A Checklist to Start This Spring

Reader Contribution by Lindsay Williamson
Published on February 10, 2015
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The weather today was unseasonably warm and it made my spirits soar to see how busy my bees were. I also saw a lot of pollen being brought into the hive which is another sign that things are on track for the busy season.

Beekeeping is such wonderful hobby and rewarding in more ways than one. I almost didn’t take the leap into it and I certainly wouldn’t have if I had weighed the pros and cons in my honeybee-ignorant mind. The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m speaking to all of you who think beekeeping sounds like an interesting or worthwhile hobby. I’m not saying to jump right in without doing your research and (more importantly) connecting with some experienced beekeepers but I am encouraging you to get busy checking off your beginner beekeeper to-do list.

Beginner Beekeeper To-Do List (to Prepare for Spring)

The truth is that if you’re hoping to have some hives this spring, then you’re already behind. It’s not impossible to get caught up at this point, though, so here’s my recommended to-do list:

1. Read! There is so much wonderful information out there about all things beekeeping. Read about hive design (you can start with one of my previous blog posts Langstroth, Top Bar or Warre?). Check out books from your library, and read what beekeepers are posting about on beekeeping forums. Also, many local beekeeping associations have a library that you can borrow from.

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