If you new beekeeper, here are beekeeping prep tips to feel confident and prepared to receive your new bees.

Choose the right location

Bees need four things. First, they need sun, or afternoon shade if your weather is hot. Second, they must have access to fresh water near the hive. You can use a large plant saucer with stones in the center for the bees to land on and refresh the water every day. A shallow bubble fountain would work well, too. Third, the hive must be protected from wind, which can blow rain (or snow) into the hive, making it harder for the bees to keep the hive warm. Finally, bees need privacy. Do not put the hives near high-traffic areas, play areas, swimming pools or pet areas. About 50 feet from high-traffic areas is ideal, but if space is limited, position the hive so the entrance is near a tall fence or hedge. This will force their flight path overhead to minimize contact with people and pets. And screening them from view will keep bees and people happy.

Prepare the location

Try to face the hive toward the rising sun or face south, if possible set the hive up off the ground on blocks (cinder blocks work well), and add something heavy on top to keep predators from flipping the hive lid off and getting to your bees.

Feed the bees

Young colonies have a lot of work to do — storing pollen and nectar, sealing all the cracks and seams in their new home, and taking care of the queen and new brood. To make their adjustment easier, feed them a “nectar.” Dissolve equal parts granulated sugar and water and use to fill the quart jars. You can purchase a handy beehive entrance feeder or frame feeder at your local Big R.

Know your environment

Bees make honey from flower nectar. Before owning bees, make sure that you provide them with a safe, natural habitat. Pesticides on flowers are a major cause of death for honeybees. Be sure that no large areas around you are being treated with commercial insecticides. If a worker bee is not killed on site by the poison, it is possible for her to bring it back to the hive, killing the other bees and even the queen.

Inspect the hives inside and out

Much of beekeeping is simple observation and response. If you are a novice beekeeper, inspect the hive about once a week for a couple of months so that you can learn. Once you feel comfortable, adjust your routine to every two weeks. Make sure the outside of the hive is clean and free of bee feces, the landing board is free of litter, and there are no ants on the hive. Open the hives and check frames for larvae and eggs (on warm days only). If the queen is healthy, you will see plenty of larvae in various stages of development. If you do not see evidence of a healthy queen, consult an expert. Your local beekeeping association is a good source.

Ultimately, the less often you inspect the hive, the better for its health. Opening the hives and thoroughly checking them requires smoking to keep the bees calm. This stresses the bees, and it takes them about a day to recover. As you learn more, you will find you will not need to pull many frames to know what is going on inside. And you will figure it out by observing the bees as they come and go from the hive.

Check regularly for pests and diseases

Varroa mites are the pest most typically found in hives. Left unchecked, they can cripple and eventually kill the hive. Other pests you need to watch for include the small hive beetle and the wax moth. Diseases you need to be on the lookout for are American and European foulbrood. Early intervention can often mean the difference between a healthy hive and a dead hive.

Expand the hive when necessary

Start with one deep hive body-brood box. When the bees have filled it with seven or eight frames of bees and brood, top it with a second brood box. Let the bees build up brood cells in the second brood box, too. When the second brood box is well filled (seven or eight frames of bees), top it with a queen excluder, if you choose to use one, and, finally, the honey super (the box from which you will collect most of your honey).

Click here to watch a great video on how to install your new bee nucleus colony! Also, shop beekeeping supplies at your local Big R store!