Now Is the Time to Learn Beekeeping

Now, fall/early winter, is the best time of year in the U.S./Northern Hemisphere to begin to learn how to become a beekeeper. The honey bees are all hunkered down in their hives, nice and comfy, staying warm out of the cold damp and/or snowy weather. Your spare time should also find you doing the same inside your home. All this leisure time is perfect to start learning about beekeeping. It is better for your brain and well being to be spending time constructively versus being a couch potato watching the nonsense that passes itself off as intelligent programming on your television set !

So, how do you get started while the honey bees are hunkered down waiting for the first signs of nectar showing up in the early spring ?

Find out if there are any Beekeeping Associations in your area. You do not need to be a beekeeper to join. Many Associations also conduct Beekeeping Schools January through March/April. Some people attend these schools just because they are interested in learning about honey bees.

Perhaps there are a couple of beekeepers in your neighborhood. By all means take the time to introduce yourself. Beekeepers love helping people learn about their hobby.

Check your local library to see what they have available in books about honey bees and beekeeping. An excellent book to look for, either at your library, local book store or on line at amazon.com is 'Beekeeping For Dummies'. This book assumes you know nothing at all about honey bees and beekeeping. It is also well illustrated. Illustrations can help make it fun for your children to share learning about beekeeping with you. Beekeeping is one hobby that is well suited to involving all members of a family.

Search for web sites about 'beginning beekeeping'. There are many very good informative sites out there on beekeeping. You can also go to You Tube and look for beekeeping videos as there are a number of good ones available for free. Some web sites also offer some good videos on DVD that you can purchase to view in the comfort of your own home.

Do not think that you cannot become a beekeeper because you live in a big city. There are many beehives up on rooftops in the heart of New York City. You can maintain a beehive on a back porch if you wish. You just need to make sure that the front of the beehive is not open to facing the cold and snow blowing in from the north.

Do be aware that if you live in an area where there are African Bees [ throughout the lower southern states in the US] then you do need to be extra cautious. In fact, in my view, you should not get involved in beekeeping if you or anyone in your family is allergic to bee stings.

Of course the hobby of beekeeping offers some tasty treats in the form of your own local honey. Many people believe that local honey helps to reduce the effects of a variety of allergies. It can provide you with extra honey that you can bottle and give to relatives and friends. I have never met anyone who would turn down such a gift !

You can learn much more at the author's web site Beginning Beekeeping