Beekeeping 101

Inside the honey bee hive. Photo credit: Lori Litchman

Beekeeping has been a burgeoning trend in cities across the country, especially here in Philadelphia. And unlike many metropolitan areas, it’s actually legal to keep bees in the city.

So, why would someone want to become a beekeeper? While most people get into beekeeping for the sweet rewards, others do it because of how important bees are to a sustainable society. If we want fruit and vegetables, we need bees to pollinate. And, the sustainability of refined sugar is quite questionable. The only processing raw honey gets is done by the bees.

This past weekend was the city’s second annual Philadelphia Honey Festival, which drew crowds from all corners of the city. The knowledgeable folks at the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild provided most of the information for this story.

If you’re thinking of becoming a beekeeper in the city, now’s a great time to start preparing and saving up some money. Here’s some information to help you start planning.

First things first, the amount of money you’ll need to front to set up one hive is about $300, which doesn’t include your bees. What you’ll get for your money is all of the following: a Beehive with frames (likely three-tiered boxes with 8-10 frames each), a beehive stand (so your bees don’t get too chilly on the cold ground), a smoker (to calm the bees when you check in on them), a hive tool (to help you get the frames out), protective gloves (for obvious reasons) and a super-chic beekeeping hat with netting.

You’ll also need to get a package of bees, which will run you about $85. For that price, you’ll get about three pounds of bees or about 15,000. And, you’ll need to reserve those bees in February for April delivery. If you become a member of the Philadelphia Beekeeping Guild, you can order bees in bulk, which might shave off a few dollars from the price.

Registration with the department of agriculture is $10 no matter how many hives you own, and it’s good for 2 years. Registration with the state is mandatory so inspectors can come out and make sure your hive is healthy.

And while there’s the possibility you may not harvest any honey during the first year, there’s a chance that you might. Beekeepers say that because of Philadelphia’s urban plant biodiversity, the bees tend to make more honey here and that some first-year beekeepers in the city have harvested up to 50 pounds of honey. However, you can’t be greedy. The bees need about 60 pounds of their own honey to snack on if you want them to survive over the winter.

If all of this sounds intriguing, you might want to check out the Southeastern PA Honey bee Symposium, sponsored by the Montgomery County Beekeepers Association on Oct. 1. There will be a day chock-full of lectures about bees and the opportunity to sign up for a day-long beginner’s course.

For more information about the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, check out their website.