Here is another wonderful resource for beginners:
Bee Keeping for Beginners, on BeeSource.com Forum
IMPORTANT FIRST STEPS IN STARTING BEEKEEPING
- “Read the book First Lessons in Beekeeping by C.P. Dadant.” – A fully developed list of beekeeping books can be found on the What to Read page of this site.
- “Get stung! It’s going to happen a lot.”
- “Join a beekeeping group.”
- “Go local! Visit a beekeeping farm or beekeeper in your area.”
- “Read, read, read! Study, study, study!”
- “Ask lots of questions!”
- “Nurture the desire, intelligence, and patience required to care for another living creature.”
- “Research the initial equipment/bees costs and what the time commitment will be.”
- “Assess the amount of work there is in beekeeping. Take the number of days you plan on working per month and multiply that number by 7. That is the work you will need to do. Take that time and add any special stuff to it such as honey recovery, super, work, and nucleus building. There’s the time and effort – sure you want to be a beekeeper?”
- “Get a mentor that will show you their hives and let you work with them.”
- “Get among the bees – this is the litmus test. You will either be filled with joy, wonder, and amazement (you have the heart of a beekeeper), or fear and dread (find another hobby!).”
- “Maintain perspective. Stay calm and relaxed. Easy does it with everything.”