Getting started in beekeeping may seem daunting. There is so much to learn and so many different ways to keep bees that it may have you asking questions on how to get started, but fear not as we are here to help!

Here at Hagen's Bees we pride ourselves on our knowledge of not only beekeeping products but also on how to keep bees. We have beekeepers onsite daily ready to give advice and help you on your journey. 

When deciding to keep bees there are a few things to consider... Where will you keep your bees? How will you get started? Have you planned a course to attend before starting? Will this be a hobby for you or would you like beekeeping to become a source of income?

The first thing you should do is research, there is never too much research to be done! It is very important to learn about honeybees, the hive and how the hive works. There are so many books, blogs and sites that you can use to research, but we always recommend Ted Hooper's 'Guide to Bees and Honey'.

There are so many podcasts too, a great podcast to listen to is the Queen Bees Podcast with Ab Fab actress Jane Horrocks and her best friend Esther Coles, if you want to learn and have a laugh at the same time! Paula Carnell is great for blogs and beekeeping from an alternative point of you, plus there are lots of YouTube channels available including Gwenyn Gruffydd, The Norfolk Honey Company and Beekeeping Made Simple.

Something that we always recommend is that you attend a beekeeping course or classes before starting your beekeeping journey. You can find courses all over the UK.

The best way to do this is to contact your local beekeeping association - there are iver 270 beekeeping associations and branches across the UK which can provide both supoort and education, plus it is a great way to make friends with fellow beekeepers at all stages of their beekeeping journeys. You can search for your local association on the BBKA site by clicking here.

When looking for the perfect place to set up your beehive, you want to make sure that it is away from bright lights at night (such as your home or outside lights), not near to where your children or pets regularly go or near high traffic areas, but is still easy for you to access. Although you want your bees to be a far enough distance from particular areas, you also need to bare in mind you will need to be transporting heavy supers when it comes to extraction time! Ideally you need an area that is quiet, level, around flowers and flowering trees, and away from anywhere that may be sprayed by pesticides. You should also consult your neighbours, and make sure they are aware you are planning to keep bees, as a duty of care.

This is where we come in, the beekeeping equipment. The beehive will become home to your bees, so it is important that your hive is right for you. The best  thing you can do is start off with a popular hive, which in the UK is National.

We stock National, Langstroth and WBC hives which are all available as complete hive kits and come with everything that your hive needs. We also sell complete starter hive kits which come with everything you need for beekeeping too - this includes a suit and gloves, along with the hive, tools, smoker and a stand for your hive! If you have any questions about what hive is right for you, then please give us a call or drop us an email, we have something for all budgets and are on hand to help.

There are a few main things that will be down to you as a beekeeper. You need to manage your space which means the space available inside the hive. As a colony grows more space will need to be added, just like it will need to be reducued if a colony dwindles. There are animals that will want to access your hive, so it is important to protect your hive from being robbed by wasps, Asian hornets and mice. You will need to manage pests such as varroa mite and treat your hives in the event that pests occur. It is important to keep a healthy hive and react quickly when problems occur. You will need to manage food storage, and feed the bees when pollen and natural feed is not available. Finally you will need to make sure you Queen in healthy and laying eggs, this is essential for your colony to survive.