First-Time Beekeeper Set Up: 4 Easy Steps
Back in January, Breanna and I took a beekeeping class with Round Rock Honey, and I knew instantly that I wanted to have our own hive. So, in early February, I ordered one.
We became first-time beekeepers last Friday (May 2nd). I picked up our NUC set. I figure it’s best to keep it real with you and share all the details.
The Drive to Round Rock Honey
Round Rock Honey sent us an email offering a set pickup time, with the latest being 7:20 AM. This is a little over a two-hour drive from our house; naturally, I chose the latest time.
I am an early bird- meaning the 4:30 AM wake-up call was not too big of a deal. Breanna was leaving for her barista job, so we left around the same time.
It was scheduled to rain (and boy, did it!), so Grim had to be crated while I was gone. I got her up, fed her, and took her potty before leaving.
Traffic was not too bad, and I listened to music the whole way there instead of opting for my usual audiobook (yes, I’m that nerd).
The Drive Home
If you watch the video above, you’ll hear I hesitated about what to do next. A bigger portion of me wanted to go home. After all, I got up early and had to drive two hours. Another two hours home for this first-time beekeeper and set up sounded pretty freaking awesome.
But I couldn’t, y’all. I just couldn’t.
I was only an hour from the place selling all my “local” flour, and I also wanted to stop at the strawberry farm that was kinda on my way home. I had been trying to do this since the middle of March, and the season was almost over.
What’s a girl to do? I went to the coffee shop. Got some coffee, googled how long my NUC set would live in their box (two-three days, in case you are wondering) and decided to suck it up and go.
The bees did a great job going from Round Rock to Abby Jane Bakeshop in Dripping Springs and then to Sweet Berry Farms in Marble Falls.
Stopping For the Bees
Marble Falls was our last stop, but we made two other detours before officially heading home: Home Depot and Tractor Supply.
I went to Tractor Supply to get a few things for the hive that I thought the box didn’t come with… however, upon opening the new brood box, I found out that it came with everything except the screen bottom board (which I bought to keep them cool in our crazy hot summers)—first-time beekeeper mistake. I should have been more prepared.
I am genuinely not upset, though, because I have a second brood box that I’m going to put on top of this one when the time comes. And it needs many of these things. Plus, having a spare of things is always good when you live thirty minutes from humanity.
I went to Home Depot for concrete cinder blocks. You’ll see why in a minute.
Getting the Bees All Set Up
As a first-time beekeeper, I knew how I wanted to set them up, and I have to say the process was fairly easy. Here’s a breakdown:
- First, I decided where I wanted to put the hive. Everything I read says the bee entrance should face the southeast, so that was my first consideration. Then, I opted for an area at the edge of a tree so the bees would have shade in the summer to keep it cool, but not so much that it would cause issues.
- Then, I put the hive together. I should have done this before I went to get them, but it didn’t take long, so all is well that ends well. A couple of things to note:
- I did have to watch a video on how to add the frame to the screen board. It’s just a matter of setting it on top, but I had the board set on it upside down. Oops!
- My entrance reducer was too big for the space, so I had to cut it down. I am grateful for the knowledge on power tools, so it only took an extra minute or two.
- Then, I placed an old ladder on two cinder blocks where I wanted the hive set up. I added the second set of two cinder blocks to the other end. This raised my bees off the ground, costing me ten dollars. Even better? I was able to reuse something that would have been trash! As I add on the second brood chamber and two supers above, I will be interested to see if this becomes a long-term thing.
- Last but not least, I put on my bee suit, fired up the smoker, and moved my new bees from their temporary home to their new home on the property. And only got stung once-ish (I say -ish because I had my gloves on so the girl that tried to sting me only managed to scratch the surface of my finger instead of getting that sucker all the way in).
Last Few Thoughts…
Overall, it was a good day for this first-time beekeeper and our bees. The first hive inspection is in four days, and I can’t wait for it. I plan to look for the queen and everything she’s doing, and, of course, I will film it on the GoPro. Be sure to look for a video soon!
