Home

>

Bee Care Sheet

Honey Bee Care Sheet

Updated on July 28, 2022
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team

Developed in partnership with Harvest Lane Honey, reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care & Education Team.

Care recommendations cover a variety of species:

  • Italian Honey Bees
  • Carniolan Honey Bees
Bee Care Sheet

Overview

Beekeeping can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Beekeepers reap countless benefits from their hives, including relaxation, garden support, self-reliance, as well as the wider environmental advantages of supporting pollinators. And the sweetest reward of all: fresh, home-harvested honey! Review this guide and be ready to get started in the fun and rewarding world of beekeeping.

Typical appearance & behavior

There are two common types of bees that are available in North America; Italians and Carniolans. These are the best for beginners since they are relatively calm, yet hard workers. Each of these bees are great honey producing bees and will work well in a hive.

  • Italian Honey Bees:
    • Easy to work with, calm, and hard working
    • Most aggressive in the spring after being confined all winter. Will not gather during cooler and overcast days 
    • In areas where springtime is cool and mostly overcast, beekeepers will likely experience low honey production from their hive
    • Italians have an average tendency to swarm, which is good
  • Carniolan Honey Bees: 
    • Consistent temperament throughout the year
    • Queens are slower to start-up with brood production and require more pollen and nectar to be able to start laying
    • More likely to swarm especially in the first year
    • Can gather 15% more honey than Italian bees because they still fly in cooler weather
    • Have larger colonies of bees in the winter, beneficial for warmth but will require supplemental feeding

Characteristics

Care Difficulty Beginner to Enthusiast
Average Life Span
  • Queen Bees: 3-years
  • Workers:
    • Summer: 15-38 Days
    • Winter:  150-200 Days
Average Adult Size
  • Queen (fertile female) is about three-fourths inch
  • Worker (female) is about one-half inch
  • Drone (male) is about five-eighths inch

Habitat 

Habitat size

Beekeeping hobby hives, on average, have 10,000 to 80,000 bees.

Building your habitat

Bees can be kept on very small lots: there are many beekeepers in Urban cities that keep bees on roofs or porches. Of course, if you are fortunate to have more land, that is great and will allow you to expand your hobby. Check your local, county and state codes for any laws regarding space. 

  •  Hives should be placed on a site away from the general public, high traffic, work and play areas
  • The entrance should face southeast, if possible, for maximum sun and away from winds that commonly blow
  • Be sure to avoid low spots on your property that may flood or have trouble with water drainage during certain seasons or heavy rains. 
    • Hives should be at least 12-14” off the ground
    • Consider adding hive stand raises to beehives for a comfortable working height, making hive inspections and maintenance more accessible and convenient
    • Elevating the hive helps defend against potential predators, ensuring the safety and well-being of the bees
    • Helps protect from water damage, snow and rot, preserving the hive's structural integrity throughout the seasons
  • Provide a water source (bucket, fountain, bird bath, etc.)

Cleaning your habitat

*No matter how docile your bees are, protective clothing must be worn anytime you are performing maintenance on or near an active hive to prevent stings. It is also recommend all beekeepers keep an EpiPen on hand for emergency situations as you never know when a helper might be unaware of an allergy, an allergic neighbor is stung by one of your bees, or you suddenly develop an allergy.

  • Early spring is a good time to clean the bottom board if needed.
  • Keep weeds away from hives to prevent pests from hiding nearby
    • Loud noises such as a mower or Weed Wacker will upset a hive. Be sure to wear protective equipment when performing these types of tasks, even if you do not intend to perform maintenance on the bee boxes themselves. 
  • Throughout winter months, conduct external inspections for damage from wind and woodpeckers as well as keeping the entrance free from leaves, snow and ice.  Bees will still need to be able to go outside and clean the hive of dead bees.
  • Winter is the perfect time for switching out equipment that needs to be cleaned or repaired for use next year.

Feeding 

What to feed your honey bees

Nectar, Pollen and alternative feed specifically made for bees when nectar and pollen are more scarce

Feed bees in early spring and late fall. Use commercially purchased feed for emergencies when natural nectar is not in abundance.  After a honey harvest, it may be necessary to supply bees with food to prevent starvation.

Care

  • While beekeepers can still be stung even when wearing Bee Suits/Jackets, this protective clothing is an absolute must for every beekeeper.  Beekeepers should always be cautious, even when wearing protective clothing and have an EpiPin available for emergencies as discussed above.
  • It's important that you open your hive only if outside temperatures are above 55 degrees (F)
  • Check hive every 10 days (temperature permitting) for pests, brood pattern, food stores
  • If pests are present, take necessary precautions to treat but be careful to read all labels so you don’t contaminate your honey.
  • Harvesting honey is the best part of the job, but it is also one of the stickiest parts.  For harvesting and extraction, it is crucial to have all your tools ready. The soonest recommended timeframe to extract is once your third box is filled meaning: all 10 of the frames in each box and foundation will be capped off with wax by the bees. While bees cap brood cells one at a time, there will be a distinguishable difference as they spread a thin layer of wax over multiple honey cells covering several inches at a time until the foundation is covered.  
  • If the frames are not capped off, your honey is not ready for extraction, this is especially important in high humidity areas.  In dry, desert climates this won't be as important.

Where to buy 

Bees are available for purchase at Petco online.

Bee keeping supplies

Habitat mates 

  • Bees should only be housed with their same species 
  • Steps to adding your new bees into your hive:
    • Smoke the 3lb bee box
    • Fill your in-hive feeder with a gallon of liquid bee feed
    • Remove nearly all frames and set aside. Keep in-hive feeder in place
    • You'll want to remove the queen cage from the box and prepare it before adding all the bees
      • To do this, use the hive tool to loosen the feeding can on the box of bees
    • Lift and loosen tab containing queen cage
    • Tap box of new bees on hard surface to shift bees to bottom of their box
    • Quickly remove feeding can from box in order to remove queen cage tab
    • Replace feeding can
    • With marshmallow in hand, locate cork on queen cage.  Make sure queen is at the opposite end and use hive tool to remove cork. Replace cork with marshmallow.
    • Insert queen cage tab into top side of frame. Twist cage so that screened (open) side is facing along honeycomb.
    • Place frame with queen on it back into hive
    • Again, tap new bees in their box on hard surface to shift bees to bottom of box
    • Remove feeding can from box, tip upside-down and shake gently over hive to add bees into hive
      • If there are still a lot of bees left in the box, place it on top of the frames and allow bees to exit box and enter hive
    • Once all bees are out of the box, place frames back into hive, add inner cover and top.

Health 

Signs of a healthy colony

  • No Pests in hive / on bees
  • Strong queen
  • Strong Brood pattern
  • Strong and growing hive population (understanding there are seasonal impacts)
  • Abundant honey and pollen stores

Common health issues

Health Issue Symptoms or Causes Suggested Action
Health IssueHive Beetles

Symptoms or CausesHive beetles destroy the hive ruining the honey, comb, pollen, and bee larvae. They will lay larvae

in the honey, which results in the larvae tunneling through everything, eating, and destroying anything in their way. You may notice the hive smells of decay or fermentation; Honey bees are gathering at their front entrance,

in preparation to abandon the hive. They are

trying to protect their hive from the beetles; The colony, including the bees, and frames look 
greasy, or wet

Suggested ActionMaintain regular inspections of the beehive, and: Use the beetle and mite trap tray, Cover the ground underneath the hive stand to

make it harder for the beetles to come back to

the hive, keep hive dry.

If you have an infestation, it is recommended to:

Remove all boxes with honey. The beetle larvae

are typically burrowed in the honey supers so eliminating future adult beetles is the logical way to proceed
Health IssueVarroa Mites

Symptoms or CausesWhile looking at the brood look to see reddish or brown dots on the larvae or on the back of the head of the bees. If you see any dots these could be mites. Look for bees that are badly deformed (EX: wings misshaped, stunted abdomens, etc). Another indication is that without warning the hive dies in late autumn. Bees know when something is off with their

brood they will actually uncap it when they sense mites on the larvae.

Suggested ActionMaintain regular inspections of the beehive, and: Use the beetle and mite trap tray, Use a sticky trap on the screened bottom board.

 

If you notice varroa mites in your hive, you can eradicate them by: Fogging with oxalic acid. This is the best way to get rid of them fast, Add drone cells in one area of the hive, most mites prefer to infect drone cells. Once they move into those cells, remove the frames and put them in the freezer to kill the mites.

Are bees easy to keep?

Arrow up icon

Anyone can learn to keep bees. The best trait to have in keeping bees is not to micro-manage them. Let them do their thing. 

How much time do bees take?

Arrow up icon

Bees are less time consuming than domesticated pets or livestock. Bees should be checked no more than one time per week. After they are established, they can go two weeks between checks. If you live in a winter climate do not do any heavy inspections after mid to late October when temperatures remain below 55 degrees. 

Where do I put a hive?

Arrow up icon

Check your local, county and state codes for any laws regarding space or location. We recommend placing hives opposite of the wind direction. Keep them away from horses, cows and other types of livestock. If they are in the same field, put fencing around the hives. If in a residential area or placing a hive close to your home face the entrance away from any play, work or lounge area. If your yard is fenced put your hive in a corner, forcing the right pattern to go up and out. Always have a water source for your hive to help keep them from becoming a nuisance. Do not place boxes in an area that floods or cannot appropriately drain water.

How much honey will a new hive produce?

Arrow up icon

Honey production can range from 0-50 lbs, even in the first year. If you are worried about too much honey, let your friends and family know you have honey and you will be their new best friend. 

Notes and sources

Ask a Pet Care Center store employee about Petco's selection of products available for the care and happiness of your new pet. All products carry a 100% money-back guarantee.

Go to cdc.gov/healthypets for more information about pets.

The information on this Care Sheet is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you need additional information, please contact your veterinarian as appropriate.

Filed Under

Sponsored