Resources for the New Beekeeper

HarBee Beekeeping offers a handful of things to get people started with having bees in your yard. If service is related to bees, we do it! For the hobbyists that needs an extra hand to move your bees to another location. HarBee has you covered from complete yearly management contracts to house calls when you have an issue. Just give us a call.

For some that wants to bee a beekeeper

Looking to do everything yourself? It is important to have good information and I am ask often what are good resources for someone to learn about bees and beekeeping. So here you go! Here is a list of books, clubs, and classes in New Jeresy that I would suggested to any new-bee, to make you a great beekeeper

1. HarBee Education Page. Part of our educational programs at HarBee we started a Facebook group where you can come and post your questions about bees and beekeeping. CLICK HERE if a link to that page. Also there you will find the most up-to-date information about our free online beekeeping classes
2. Join a beekeeping club. Here is a link to find your local branch. Joining a club is the most importing thing you can do. Talking with other beekeepers and staying up-to-date with what is going on in the state from management practices to new and proposed laws and regulations will keep you informed better than any book.
3. New Jersey department of Agriculture, staying up-to-date with the New Jersey (or your home state) bee related regulations is important in being a positive part of the beekeeping community. Registering your hives with the state will get you alerts when pesticides are being sprayed and if a honeybee related disease was inspected near you. (https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/beeinspection.html)
4. Reading a beekeeping book on basic manage and to get used to some beekeeper terminology is really important as you go your skills.
   1. Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees By M. T. Sanford R. E. Bonney. This book has a great break down of who is in the hive (worker, drone, queen and Varroa) and is my number one pick for a person that is serious and wants to keep Honey Bees health.
   2. “The backyard beekeeper” By Kim Flottum, was the book that I read and still keep for reference.
   3. “Beekeeper for dummies” is a good book that I didn’t read but I have heard good things about.
   4. “The Beekeeper’s Handbook” by Diana Sammataro is another great reference book and it implies some level of understanding. For someone that is just starting I wouldn’t recommend, but it is a great second read. After your first year in having bees reading this book will help perfect your craft. Beekeeping is a learning persons hobby and good beekeepers are always perfecting their craft.
5. The Bee Informed Partnership has put together a booklet on how to control Varroa. Varroa is the killer of honeybees and will kill your bees if you do not manage to control it. Know that your tools are along with how and when to use then tools and how effective you should expect it being is important. As a beekeeper you are the veterinarian to your bees. Here is the link (HBHC-Guide_Varroa_Interactive_7thEdition_June2018.pdf (honeybeehealthcoalition.org) 
6. Managing Varroa Mites in Honey Bee Colonies Mississippi University. This Document probably isn’t for the new beekeeper but understanding the biology and life cycle of the Varroa mite is key to be able to keep them at bay. (http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/publications/managing-varroa-mites-honey-bee-colonies)
7. Honey bee Health Coalition This is a great link to trusted how too videos and documents about Varroa mites (https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroa/)
8. Other major killer of bees is the internet. There are a lot of people on youtube can talk about a lot of things that simply do not work in New Jersey or you can be following someone that is in Australia where there is not Varroa. Don’t get mixed up in bad information. If you are person that learns from youtube here is my list of links that I think a great. I’m not limiting videos to these links but I will limit it to the speakers in the video.
   1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewqWVguGRvc – Randy Oliver Mite wash and hive inspecting How-To video.
   2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36oHVUl3INA&t=4s – Tim Schuler demonstrates Varroa Mite Alcohol wash. Great video.
   3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nznzpiWEI8A – Mike Palmer
   4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcfqTx4_FAo – Randy Oliver
9. Podcast: The BKcorner is a great podcast from Master beekeeper and friend of mine Kevin Inglin. Kevin gives good time to a couple really good topics and dives deep into the thought process every good beekeeper should have.
   1. http://bkcorner.njswarm.com/

HarBee also can sell you your bees. Starting with the right information is the number one importance, but starting with good healthy bees is also extremely important. HarBee Beekeeping can sell you the bees that you will need to get off to a solid start

If you will have questions, Give me a call (201-543-3549) or send me and email at harbeebeekeeping@gmail.com subjected “I have a question”.

Disclaimer: For most, if not all, links that brings you to a page where an idea is sold HarBee is using that particular link because we receive a commission when a purchase is made using our links. That said, it isn’t the fact that we are compensated for the referral that make us suggest one thing over the other rather we were going to refer you anyway and now we are compensated.

Pat Harrison