by Triston Cornett
Once people find out that I keep honeybees, I am always asked, “ What would I need to start my own hive?” Great question, I always say, glad you asked! It’s as easy as answering these 3 simple questions.
The first question you should answer is; what breed of bee may do well in your particular climate? The 3 most successful breeds are, Russian, Carniolan, and Italian. The Russian bee traits are; average honey production, average spring buildup, and excellent overwintering ability. The Carniolan bee traits are; above average honey production, excellent spring buildup, and above average overwintering ability. The Italian bee traits are; excellent honey production, above average spring buildup, and average overwintering ability.
Now once you have decided on the breed, the next question you need to tackle is; what would you like to start your hive with, either package bees or nucs? Package bees are usually three pounds of bees that come in a screened box, about the size of a shoebox, with a queen included, which you shake into an empty hive. Nucs on the other hand, are five frames that are taken from an established hive, which includes a queen, and you place those five frames into an empty beehive.
With the first two questions out of the way now you need to answer what type of woodenware do you need? You would need a bottom board, a deep hive body, frames, an inner cover, a telescoping outer cover, supers, and foundation. Along with the bees, these are the ingredients of your first beehive. You should be really excited about now!
The last and probably most important question you will answer is; Now that you have the bees taken care of, it’s time to turn your attention to…….. YOURSELF! There are some things that you will need to get in order to provide yourself some protection while you take care of your bees. A beekeeper should invest in, at a minimum, a bee veil, leather gloves, and a smoker. However I would highly recommend acquiring a nice beekeeper suit due to the ease and comfort that it provides while you learn your way with your bees.
And finally, it would benefit you greatly to get in touch with your local agriculture department or beekeeping association, so you can pair up with an experienced beekeeper or perhaps even take a beekeeping class. Bees have been around for thousands of years and there is so much to learn. Having a local resource will help you with whatever the bees may bring your way. So…. Now you are ready to be a beekeeper!
Triston Cornett is a 16 year old bee keeper, who started beekeeping at the young age of six. And through this experience it led him to starting his very own business, Cornett Apiaries. His passion and love for honeybees has taught him the impact honeybees have had on our environment. He spends his days in the bee yard focused on chemical free beekeeping, queen rearing, and honey production all of which he shares on his website.