Getting Started In Beekeeping

From DBKA Website

There are a few appoaches to starting beekeeping, but the primary thing is to get as much information as you can before you start. Although keeping bees is mostly a routine once you know what you're doing, you need to know how to handle the bees to not annoy them too much, how to keep an eye out for problems in the hive, how to control swarming and how to keep the population of parasites like the varroa mite down.

One option is to attend a local beekeeping course. One of our members, Hilary Lambert, runs an introduction to beekeeping course based near Ilkeston. Another local beekeeper, Margaret Cowley, runs several beekeeping courses throughout the year based near Derby. These courses are well worth attending to get yourself a good basic foundation of knowledge and experience.

Another option is to find a friendly local beekeeper who can help you through the first year by showing you the basic principles and then providing "telephone support" if you have problems. If you don't actually know a beekeeper then the best way to find one is to attend one of the association's monthly meetings. You could also try approaching members of the association who'll be at several public events during the year.

If you'd like to get some books then take a look at our books page.

Some places that might be useful to visit are the Honey Pot in Markeaton Park and Bee Equipped near Bradley. These are our local beekeeping suppliers, and are a good place to talk over the costs of starting beekeeping. The Honey Pot also has a good selection of the books listed on our books page.

If you think you'll definately be keeping bees, then consider joining the DBKA. When you join the DBKA you'll automatically become a member of the British Beekeepers association too which means that you'll get the benefits from both. These include regular newsletters from both the local and national associations, public and product liability insurance and disease insurance in the unlikely event you lose colonies due to some (thankfully quite rare) diseases.