Are Bees For Me?
(Mark Johns, 2006)
Why Do I Want to Keep Bees?
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Hobby
Pollination
Hive Products (honey, wax, pollen,
propolis)
Hobby
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Relaxation – if you’re a calm type to begin
with…
Excitement – yes, you will get stung.
I just think bees are cool – me too!
Pollination
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Add pollinators to environment in general
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Benefits the surrounding ecology
Pollinate my crops in particular
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Bees concentrate on one nectar source
Hive sends out scout bees
 May ignore your crop if large nectar source is
available (i.e. blackberries in bloom)
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Pollination (cont’)
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Consider mason bees
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Especially good for orchards
Cheap and easy to maintain
Pollination (cont’)
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Consider keeping hives for a beekeeper
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Cheaper - small scale beekeeper will usually
just want honey
Less time – beekeeper performs all
maintenance
Hive Products
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Honey
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Beeswax
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Variable yields – 40 to 100 lbs/hive
Depends on amount of rainfall, temperature,
hive strength
Small yield from honey comb cappings
Pollen
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Gathering pollen can weaken hive
Hive Products
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Propolis
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Tree sap collected by bees
Used by bees to patch small holes/cracks in
hive that might harbor bacteria or pests
Time Expenditure
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Weekend setting up site and new hives
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Additional 1–2 hours installing bees
Weekly visit: 2–3 hours (spring/summer of
first year)
Beekeeper’s club meetings: 3-4 hours
month
Education: Lots of hours reading books,
internet beekeeping sites, beekeeper’s club
Time Expenditure (cont’)
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Most time spent
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Spring – installing bees, medicating, feeding,
adding honey supers
Summer – mite checks, general health,
feeding, adding honey supers
Fall – mite checks, medicating, general
health, feeding, honey supers, extracting
honey
Cost Expenditure
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$200 - $400 initial cost for two hives and
basic equipment
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Two hives are better than one
Can compare hives for health
Can swap frames between strong and weak
hives
$50.00 annual maintenance (mostly
medications)
Basic Equipment
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Buy new – don’t inherit problems (mites,
disease)
Local supplier or mail order?
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Mail order – may not be cheaper after
shipping
Local supplier provides additional source of
information, beekeeping classes
The BEEZ NEEZ Apiary Supply, Snohomish
Basic Equipment (cont’)
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Epi Pen – insurance against anaphylactic
shock (requires a prescription) $30.00
Betterbee Inc. – ($225.00 assembled)
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2 hive bodies w/frames
2 medium honey supers w/frames
top cover
inner cover
bottom board w/entrance reducer
Basic Equipment (cont’)
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hive tool
smoker
beekeeping book
leather gloves
helmet & veil (no bee suit)
varroa mite screen/monitoring tray
Basic Equipment (cont’)
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Additional hive ($60.95 assembled)
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single hive body (and no supers)
top cover
inner cover
bottom board w/ entrance reducer
Additional honey supers ($50 - $60)
State hive registration fee ($10-$15)
Basic Equipment (cont’)
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Bee suit (optional) $50.00 - $150.00
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Can use “light-colored” work clothes
Medication (annual)
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Varroa mite - $20.00/hive (ApiLife VAR)
Tracheal mite – $5.00/hive (Menthol)
Nosema virus - $10.00 (Fumagilin-B)
Wax moths – can bag and freeze supers
Cost of Bees
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3 lb. Package of bees with queen
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$70.00 to $90.00 per package
Can order bees from BEEZ NEEZ Apiary
Supply (2005 price $78.00)
Order bees by March for mid-April delivery
Other Equipment
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Sugar water feeders - $25.00
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Honey extractor (hobbyist): $225 - $350
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May need to subsidize bees for winter
Try to borrow one
Electric fence - $100
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Local bears, deer, skunks
Bear Damage
Still Want to Keep Bees?
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Join a Beekeeper’s Association
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Education and camaraderie
Helps support university research (WSU)
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Washington State Beekeeper’s Assoc.
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Annual dues ($15.00)
www.wasba.org
Northwest District Beekeeper’s Assoc.
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www.nwdba.org (meets 2nd Tuesday)
Other Beekeeping Resources
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Books
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Beekeeping for Dummies, Blackiston, 2002
First Lessons in Beekeeping, Dadant Press
The Hive and the Honey Bee, Dadant
The A,B,C's and X,Y,Z's of Beekeeping, A.I.
Root
Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crop Plants,
McGregor
Other Beekeeping Resources
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Internet
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BeeSource.com - www.beesource.com
Links to other beekeeping sites page
 Discussion groups
 Plans for building equipment
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Mason Bees –www.knoxcellars.com
Other Beekeeping Resources
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Suppliers
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The BEEZ NEEZ Apiary Supply, 403 Maple
Ave Suite A, Snohomish, WA, 98290-2562,
360-568-2191, www.beezneezapiary.com
Betterbee, Inc., www.betterbee.com
Dadant & Sons, Inc., www.dadant.com
Mann Lake Ltd., www.mannlakeltd.com
Have Fun and Good Luck!