Getting Started in Beekeeping, presented at the Missouri Livestock Symposium on December 3, 2016 by Grant Gillard, a beekeeper from Jackson, Missouri and Past President of the Missouri State Beekeeping Association. www.grantgillard.weebly.com

2. A Beginner’s Trinity
Take a class
Join a local bee club or
association
Find a mentor

3. Problem with a class

4. Problem with a bee club
Inundated with “experts”
Bogged down with committees
Encumbered with administration

5. Best thing about bee clubs
Networking!
Fount of resources
Great place to ask questions
Great place to ask for help

6. Problem with a mentor
Best mentors probably very busy
Scheduling conflicts
Doesn’t need to train a “helper”
Doesn’t want commitment
Philosophical differences
A mentor is like a coach, they can get you in the
game but they cannot play it for you.

7. Where to find bee clubs?
www.mostatebeekeepers.org
“local associations” link

8. Read, Read, Read – Supply Catalogs
 Dadant www.dadant.com 1-888-922-1293
 Brushy Mountain
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/
1-800-BEESWAX (800-233-7929)
 Better Bee http://www.betterbee.com/ 1-800-632-3379
 Kelley Bee https://www.kelleybees.com 1-800-233-2899
 Mann Lake http://www.mannlakeltd.com/
1-800-880-7694

9. Two Magazines
Bee Culture
http://www.beeculture.com/
The American Bee Journal
http://americanbeejournal.com/
Barne’s and Nobles

10. Internet:
Youtube.com
Blogs
Websites
Forums
Social Media

11. Too much information?
 Differing opinions and philosophies
 Multiple answers
 Lots of overlap and redundancy
 Ignorance and arrogance (Facebook)
 What’s the value?
Building a vocabulary
Learn the jargon

12. Clothing – Protection - Confidence

14. Use smoke!

17. 1. Visit a beekeeper
 A first-hand hive inspection
 See how the equipment works together
 Take a free sting, see how it really hurts
 Remember there is more “art” than “science”
 Don’t say, “I was reading on the Internet…”
 Don’t say, “Aren’t you supposed to…”

18. 2. Where will you keep bees?
Most beginners: backyard
Where in backyard?
Got neighbors? Bees swarm!
Full sun is preferred (my opinion)
Ask a beekeeper to come over and offer
an opinion

21. 3. How many hives?
Two hives is recommended,
Four hives if you can afford it.
Value of comparison
No two colonies are alike
 A colony (bees) lives in a hive (structure)

22. 4. What kind of hives?
Top Bar Hive
no standard dimensions
Langstroth – rectangular
10-frame is standard
8-frame is lighter
Different size boxes

26. Langstroth hives

27. 5. Where will you acquire hives?
Buy new - $250 complete set up
Buy used -
Make them yourself*
If you decide to quit, what is your
resale potential?

30. 6. Where are you going
to get your bees?
Buy a package $110 - $135
Buy a nuc $145 - $185
Buy a whole hive $250
Catch a swarm “free”
Remove bees from structure – “cut out”
Different sources will raise different
expectations, yield different results,
require different management.

42. Bee Removals

45. First Year Expectations
 Probably feed sugar syrup to get started - $
Equal parts white granulated sugar and water
 Get established, build comb
 Honey harvest not likely
 Bees may, or may not, flourish
 Urge to micromanage everything
 Bee may die over the winter