Course Overview
​Welcome to the first lesson of Backyard Beekeeping Launchpad! In this lesson, we'll cover what we call the Beekeeping Timeline which helps you ​understand when you need to have certain tasks done throughout the season.
This lesson is ​contains some of the most foundational information we'll present throughout the course, so it's really important that you have a good grasp of these concepts . ​
With that, let's dive into the lesson questions.​
​The ​Beekeeping Timeline is a ​framework we've developed that gives you an overview of when you need to complete specific beekeeping tasks throughout the season. It is designed to help you plan & prepare ahead of time as well as keep you on track so that you don't miss any critical deadlines.
We’ve designed the ​Beekeeping Timeline to give you enough structure so you know how to move forward​. However, we've also ​built in plenty of flexibility ​so you can adapt​ things to fit your situation.
An ​common adaptation ​of ​the Timeline is that ​you may need to ​ add, change, or remove tasks based on your locality.
For example, if you live in a warmer climate, you may not need to complete some or all of the hive wintering tasks .
​That in mind, ​feel free to adjust whatever you need to make the Timeline work for you.
Generally speaking, you'll have 2 types of beekeeping costs you need to consider: cost-per-hive and one-time costs .
Cost-per-hive is pretty much what it sounds like. It's the additional cost you'll have for each additional beehive you add to your apiary. Common costs in this category can include woodenware and your actual honey bees.
Similarly, the one-time costs are those costs you only pay for once like your bee suit, hive tools, and smoker. You usually don't have to keep paying these costs for each additional hive.
Here's a good breakdown of the items that you'll need as a backyard beekeeper:
​All things considered, you should plan to spend at least $600 to get started with 1 full beehive .
If you add ​more beehives beyond that or you ​invite others to do beekeeping with you, plan on adding the appropriate additional costs in.
We have a full breakdown of the Beekeeping Timeline in a post on our blog, but we'll briefly cover all the important dates here as well:
​Make a note of these dates ​in your calendar, planner, task manager, sticky note wall, etc. so that you can ​plan accordingly.
​Here are the ​resources we ​referenced in this lesson:
The Beekeeping Timeline will help you learn all of the important dates you need to know about to complete a season of beekeeping. By following the recommended completion dates, you'll be able to have all of your important tasks in good time so you don't miss out and have to wait till the next season.
In this lesson, you'll learn about finding a mentor. One of the best things you can do as a new backyard beekeeper is find a great mentor that works well with your style of learning. A good mentor will help you navigate the challenges of backyard beekeeping and will help you avoid the common rookie mistakes most new beekeepers make.
Finding reliable sources of on-going backyard beekeeping information is one of the best things you can do outside of finding a good mentor. In this lesson, you'll learn how to discover if an information source is reliable and where to find some of these great sources of beekeeping information.
Another great source of reliable beekeeping information is reputable beekeeping associations, groups, and clubs. In this lesson, we discuss what benefits you can get from these groups and how to determine if groups are worth joining or not.
Understanding supply quality is critical to getting the best value out of your beekeeping experience. In this lesson, you'll learn where you should aim on the quality spectrum to achieve the greatest benefit.
Woodenware represents one of the largest costs in backyard beekeeping. In this lesson, you'll learn how to get the best value for your money so you keep your long-term costs as low as possible.
One of the most exciting parts of being a backyard beekeeper is pre-ordering your bees! In this lesson, you'll discover the different species of bees, how they are packaged, & typical costs.
To wrap up your pre-orders, you'll need to get your equipment & supplies. In this lesson, you'll learn what you absolutely need to have and what you should expect to pay.
Your bees needs a safe place to live throughout your season. In this lesson, you'll learn what criteria you should look for a prime living space for your beehives.
Now that you've identified the prime living space for your beehive, it's time to get all of the pieces set in place. This lesson features a live demo showing you how to do just that.
Organization is an important part of beekeeping, especially if you're working on a tight time frame. In this lesson, you'll learn about organizing your tools & workspace so you have everything you need at a moment's notice
Previously, we looked at where to put your beehives and how to set them up in the living space. In this lesson, we're going to cover all of the individual components that make up your beehive.
No matter what you do, you will not be able to stop 100% of bee stings. However, having the right under armor can drastically reduce the number of times you get stung.
Once you have your under armor properly situated, it's time to get into your bee suit! This lesson will show you the different pieces of your suit and how to get properly suited up for maximum protection.
The reality of beekeeping is that you are going to get stung at some point and that can actually be a good thing. This lesson will discuss why as well as what to do when you do get stung.
Picking up your bees is quite possible the most exciting day of the entire season. It's basically Christmas for beekeepers :) But with so many logistics involved, what should you expect? That's what we'll be discussing in this lesson.
Once you have your bee packages or nucs in hand, what do you do with them? This lesson will cover what you need to do to set your hives up for the rest of the season.
New beekeepers LOVE to check on their bees. To be fair, it's exciting! But is doing it all the time a good idea? Complete this lesson to learn the appropriate intervals for checking on your bees after you've installed them.
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