These are the important questions to ask yourself before you try beekeeping.
A unique hobby is buzzing in popularity. Many people are trying their hand at beekeeping, but before you suit up and bring home a hive, there are a few important things to consider. We are sharing key questions every beginner should ask before getting started with beekeeping.
McKay Opeifa is a master beekeeper with 15 years of experience. She also teaches beekeeping classes, hosts honey tastings, and considers herself overly passionate about beekeeping and pollinators. From space requirements to hive maintenance, she shared how to find out if this hobby is right for you.
What is Your Motive?
Before diving into beekeeping, it’s important to understand the commitment and challenges involved. “ A lot of times people just think, I like honey, I’ll get bees,” McKay said. “A lot of times honey is not something that is a result of being a beekeeper.”
She pointed out that things can go wrong and there won’t be a honey harvest one year. Or, while you are trying to build up your hive, you let the bees keep the honey. “ It’s their food!” McKay said. “ If your motive is honey, you’re going to get frustrated and it’s not going to be very successful.”
McKay emphasized that beekeeping is not a “set it and forget it” hobby. “You have to do it for the love of the bees. You have to really dive in to learn about the bees,” she said.
If you want to become a beekeeper, you need to be prepared for the time, effort, and education required to maintain healthy hives. “ There’s a million things that could go wrong in your hives and you have to be there to problem solve and do all of that,” McKay emphasized.
Do You Have the Right Space?
Space is another important factor to consider. Bees forage within a three to five-mile radius of their hive, so you need to make sure a healthy environment is within this range. “If you have a small backyard, you can keep bees, but you want to be aware. If the neighbor down the road is spraying his apple trees, it’s going to affect your bees,” McKay noted.
Additionally, beekeepers must comply with local regulations, like maintaining a certain distance from property lines. “ In Utah, the requirements are it has to be in your backyard and you have to be three feet away from a property line,” McKay explained. “ If you can check those two boxes and you’re aware of your surroundings, that it’s going to be a healthy environment for the bees, then you can go for it.”
If you want to register a hive, you can visit utah.gov and pay a $10 fee. You’ll also find all the requirements for keeping bees in Utah here.
Testing the Waters with Bee Hotels
If you aren’t sure about committing to a full hive, McKay recommended starting with a bee hotel. These structures provide a habitat for solitary bees and can help gauge the existing pollinator ecosystem in your yard. “ Sometimes you’ll bring in this hive, which introduces 80, 000 to 100,000 different bees, and they consume all of the food and that pushes out all these native pollinators… If you have a great ecosystem going, you don’t want to disrupt it,” McKay explained. “So if you put one of these little bee hotels in your yard and it fills up really fast, you know that you have a really great thing going and you probably shouldn’t be a beekeeper.”
Do You Have the Time?
Beekeeping requires a significant time commitment. “ If your hive is doing really well, you’ll be doing hive checks every two weeks, but very seldom does everything go well,” McKay emphasized. She also underscored that honey harvest will take a full day.
What is the Start Up Cost?
The start up costs can also be an investment, with an initial cost of around $600. “ And then, you’ll have your add ons of things that come up as surprises,” McKay said. However, she believes the rewards are worth the investment. “ This is great. Cheap relative to other things, but I think it’s completely worth it.”
Find more beekeeping advice from McKay on Instagram, @mckayjo.
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