How to Set Up a New Beehive

Beekeeping is a fascinating hobby. Anyone can do it, with a little education. Here's how to set up a new beehive.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Complete beekeeper's protective suit, leather gloves and veil.
• Beehive, including bottom board, box with frames, inner cover and top cover.
• 1 lb. package of bees with queen.
• Hive Tool
• 1 1/2 inch nail
• Medication, such as Duramycen, to prevent foul brood (this is considered optional by some beekeepers).

1. New Hive with Package Next to it Acquire the above listed equipment and set up your new hive in a sunny location, away from pets or children or heavy traffic areas.
2. Place 7-9 frames in the box. It can hold 10, but for this method of starting new hives, you'll need only nine for now. You might want to remove a couple more frames, just to make it easier to work.
3. Beekeeper Holding New Package of Bees You can order a package of bees through the mail, or check with a local beekeeper's supply store, where they will often order shipments of bees in the springtime each year. The package will come with a queen and a pound of worker bees. The package will usually have a slow-drip can of sugar water in it to feed the bees in transit.
4. Setting Up New Hive With your bee suit and gloves on, take the package to where you've set up your new box. With your hive tool, pry the can of sugar water out of the package. Set it aside.
5. Locate the queen cage. It is usually dangling by a metal strip from the top of the package. Remove the cage from the package. You can prop the sugar water can back over the hole to keep the other bees from coming out at this point.
6. There are several ways beekeepers have of introducing the queen into the new box. We use the free release method, which has some risk of the queen flying away, but is quicker, and usually works just fine. Hold the queen cage very close to the new hive box. With your hive tool, pry off the screen that covers the side of the queen cage and lower the queen cage down between the middle two frames, so that she crawls out onto the comb.
7. Step 6 assumes that the queen has been with the worker bees for several days. If you know that she hasn't been with them that long, you won't want to free release her. Instead, get a mini-marshmallow and, instead of taking off the screen of the queen cage, remove one of the corks with a nail and place the candy there instead. Place the queen cage so that it is wedged between the middle two frames, facing down. The workers will eat the candy and release her in the next few days.
8. Pouring out the bees After the queen is in the hive, pick up the package and pour the remaining bees onto the frames.
9. adding frames Place any removed frames into the box, placing them next to the outer sides of the box. You should have 9 frames.
10. Medicating the Bees Now is the time to medicate the new colony. Duramycen mixed with powdered sugar is the method we use. Sprinkle the powdered suger on the bees so they will eat it off of each other.
11. Place the inner cover and outer cover on. You can leave the package, which will still have some bees in it, near entrance of the new hive. You can also punch small holes in the sugar water can with your hive tool and let it seep out for the bees to eat. You should also consider placing a feeder on the hive to help the bees build out the comb without having to forage.
12. About 2-3 days later, check the hive, making sure the queen is out of the cage (if you left it there), and pick up the empty package. They can often be returned for a deposit refund. Place the 10th frame in the hive at this time.

Tips & Warnings

• New hives should be set up in the spring, after most flowers are in bloom. This gives the bees plenty of forage.
• It's a good idea to set up two hives, rather than one. That way, if one doesn't make it through the winter, hopefully the other one will and you won't have to start over again the next year.
• Set up your new hive(s) at dusk; the bees are less likely to leave their new home.
• Although bees in new hive mode are not typically aggressive, it is always a good idea to protect yourself from stings.