Prepare the apiary
Morning sun, dry footing, a clear flight path, wind shelter, water, and easy vehicle access make more difference than a perfect view.
Site a hive well →A field guide for new and growing beekeepers
Build a resilient hive,
not just a box of bees.
Hivewise turns the big, complicated first years of beekeeping into practical inspections, climate-aware plans, queen decisions, and clear next steps when something looks wrong.
A good first rule: Learn your local rules and connect with a nearby beekeeping association or extension service before ordering bees. Reportable diseases, approved treatments, forage seasons, and overwintering practices vary by region.
Your first season
The dependable path
Start with one or two colonies. Two makes comparisons possible; one keeps the learning curve manageable.
Choose bees & equipment
A locally raised nucleus colony is often the easiest start. Match hive format to your lifting ability, budget, and local mentors.
Compare setups →Inspect with a purpose
Look for eggs, brood pattern, food stores, room to expand, pests, and queenright behavior. Do not inspect just to inspect.
Learn inspection signs →Manage for survival
Monitor mites, prevent starvation and swarms, protect the hive from weather and predators, and prepare early for winter.
Open the planner →The inspection question
“What changed since last time?”
Every visit should create a simple record: colony strength, brood pattern, stores, queen status, swarm cells, mite sample result, and any action taken.
- Open calmly on a warm, flyable day.
- Work from the side; avoid standing in the flight path.
- Keep frames in their original order and orientation.
- Replace each box gently to avoid crushing bees or queens.
The most important threat
Varroa is a calendar item, not an emergency-only item.
Varroa mites spread viruses and can collapse a colony before it looks visibly sick. Sample regularly with a validated method, use locally appropriate treatment thresholds, follow labels exactly, and test treatment efficacy.
See the mite plan →Hives, colonies & queens
Build for your bees—and your body.
There is no single perfect hive. Standardization, local support, manageable lifting weight, dry ventilation, and reliable inspections matter more than the style you choose.
Site design
Place your apiary deliberately
Clear flight path
Morning sun
Water nearby
Face the entranceGenerally toward morning sun, away from prevailing cold wind, and not at a walkway or neighbor.
Keep it dryUse a stable stand, slope the hive slightly forward for drainage, and keep vegetation off the entrance.
Raise it upAbout 30–45 cm / 12–18 in helps your back, reduces dampness, and deters some pests.
Plan for peopleOffer water before bees discover pools, patios, livestock troughs, or a neighbor’s tap.
Starting a colony
Five realistic ways to get bees
Availability and biosecurity vary locally. Ask sellers for origin, queen age, disease history, and their varroa management approach.
Queen management
Read the queen’s work, not just her presence.
A queen can be hard to find. Eggs and a compact pattern of healthy brood are often better evidence that a functioning queen was present in the last few days.
Queenright signs
- Single eggs centered in cells.
- Young larvae and a reasonably solid brood pattern.
- Calm, purposeful workers with normal foraging.
- Brood of appropriate age progression across frames.
Possible queen trouble
- No eggs or young larvae when they should be present.
- Many eggs per cell, eggs on cell walls, or all drone brood: possible laying workers.
- Scattered brood, repeated supersedure cells, or an abruptly shrinking population.
- Virgin queen period after a split or swarm: allow weather-dependent mating time before intervening.
Before replacing a queen
- Rule out a recently emerged virgin queen.
- Confirm the colony is truly queenless with a frame of eggs from another healthy colony if available.
- Address disease, mites, starvation, or laying workers first.
- Follow the breeder’s introduction instructions precisely.
Climate-aware beekeeping
Work with the nectar flow, not the calendar alone.
Bloom timing, drought, winter length, humidity, and forage differ sharply even within one state or province. Select the climate pattern closest to your apiary, then refine it with local bloom observations.
Cold winter / short season
Build fast, protect winter bees.
Seasonal decision flow
Should I open the hive?
Every inspection can disrupt temperature regulation and bees’ work. Use this short flow to decide whether opening is helpful today.
You have a reason to inspect
Is it warm, calm, and flyable?
No
Use entrance observation, hefting, or wait—unless there is an urgent threat.
Yes
What question will this inspection answer?
No clear question: do not open today.
Inspect efficiently, record findings, and act only on evidence.
Pests, disease & pressure
See early. Confirm carefully. Act deliberately.
This is a practical triage library, not a laboratory diagnosis. Many symptoms overlap. When disease is suspected, avoid moving bees, comb, or equipment and contact a local bee inspector, veterinarian, diagnostic lab, or experienced mentor.
A mite management loop
Monitor → decide → treat → verify
Varroa management is most successful before late-season winter bees are raised under heavy mite and virus pressure.
Monitor
Use a validated sampling method such as an alcohol wash or another method recommended in your region. Record colony, date, method, and result.
Decide
Use thresholds appropriate to your region and season. A local association, extension service, or bee health authority can provide current guidance.
Treat lawfully
Choose only approved products, follow the current product label, dosage, temperature limits, PPE, and honey-super restrictions exactly.
Verify
Sample again after the treatment window. If control failed, investigate resistance, brood timing, reinvasion, or application error with local help.
Rapid hive triage
Start with what you can actually observe.
Select the strongest sign. Hivewise will give cautious next actions—not a false diagnosis. If you suspect a regulated brood disease, stop moving colony material and get local expert help.
Do not wait on these
Sudden mass death, suspected pesticide kill, or foulbrood-like brood
Photograph the colony, preserve samples if your authority advises it, reduce disturbance, keep equipment separate, and contact your local apiary inspector, extension office, or diagnostic lab. Do not sell, split, or move the colony until advised.
Your working record
Small notes prevent big surprises.
Use this checklist before an inspection and save your own apiary observations. Notes stay on this device and may sync through Popchat when signed in.
Inspection checklist
What to record
Apiary note
Today’s field record
A complete inspection record includes
The six questions worth answering
1. Queen statusEggs, larvae, brood pattern, queen cells, queen sighting if known.
2. PopulationFrames covered by bees and brood frames, compared with last visit.
3. FoodHoney, pollen, nectar, and whether bees have access to forage or feed.
4. SpaceOpen comb, congestion, swarm preparation, and room to lay or store nectar.
5. HealthVarroa sample result, brood signs, adult bee appearance, pests, and odors.
6. ActionExactly what you did, product labels used, dates, and what to check next time.