RESOURCES

15 Considerations before you start. It is as important to place the bees in a convenient location for you to access and ensure the proper care and maintenance of the hive. It’s a balanced relationship between you and your bees. That being said, it is very important that you place your bees in a good location.

Everything you will need to get started beekeeping. If you are under the impression that all you have to do is put bees (or even a single queen) in to a box, turn a tap, and get honey, you are in for a surprise. Bees are animals and you will be taking on farming and animal husbandry. We can help you get started.

This is a document that we had a lawyer in Alberta draft up in exchange for beekeeping mentorship! It is an excellent resource if you are wanting to keep bees on someone else lands, and want to make sure that you have clear understandings of commitment, responsibilities and liabilities. It was written for Alberta's' legal system, but it is applicable in almost all Canadian jurisdictions.

There is a lot to be said for a well kept beekeeping log, especially throughout the winter months as you review your beekeeping season, make decisions on spring management, and try to understand more about what succeeded and what failed. If you don’t take good notes, are you learning as quickly as you could be?

When building or purchasing beekeeping equipment, it is very important that you make sure you look at measurements and buy the right parts for the right box. Also, having a clear understanding of weight and size.

As a beginner beekeeper, knowing when the seasons are transitioning, what management is required, and what to look out for can be extremely difficult. This is why we have created a simple flow chart that will apply to where you are, in your season, at your own timing.

We are passionate about all pollinators. On this page, you will be able to receive downloadable PFD's to help you understand more about bumble bees and solitary bees in your own backyard.

A list of native and perennial plants that benefit bees, social and solitary. This list of plants is organized by timing for growing in BC and Alberta, showcases their flower and pollen colour, as well as if they are nectar producing. A very comprehensive list of trees as well.

Wax is your biggest asset as a beekeeper. Even more so than the bees. If you don’t have wax, you have no where for the queen to lay, no where for pollen and honey to store, and no way to suppress swarms in an efficient way. This is why you should always be managing your bees for maximum wax production.

This is a listing of all kinds of books for all ages and levels of readers. Everything from gardening to native bee publications, to fictional tales of wonder and adventure. Have a look around and click on what draws you in. The links will take to you a website where you can purchase the book or find it online.

Raising queens can be difficult when you are learning. There are a lot of moving parts and getting to a point where you can act confidently means you have to know where opportunities for error can occur. This resource will help you identify these areas of risk in raising your own queens.

This simplified document was created in adaptation of the Glenn Apiaries documents. This is a PDF sheet that can be printed off in order to help beekeeper understand and interpret genetics and trait movement throughout a honey bee colony.

A break down on the latest understanding of the varroa mite lifecycle and its impacts on honey bees, as published my Dr. Samuel Ramsey.

A flow chart review of what happens and what actions you can take AFTER a colony has swarmed