Okay, I need to have a word with you. Every year I watch new beekeepers make the same five mistakes — and I watch their colonies pay for it. I’ve been surveilling enough backyards to say this with confidence: it’s almost never bad luck. It’s almost always one of these. Let’s fix that before your bees arrive.
⚠️ Mistake #1: Ignoring Varroa Mites (“I'll Deal With It Later”)
This is the big one. The colony killer. Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that feeds on honey bee fat bodies and spreads deadly viruses like Deformed Wing Virus. Every colony has them. Yes, yours too — probably as you're reading this.
What to do instead:
Start monitoring mite levels by Month 2 using an alcohol wash or sugar roll
Treat when mite counts exceed 2–3 mites per 100 bees
Learn at least one treatment method before you need it — oxalic acid vapor and Apivar strips are common beginner-friendly options
Join a local bee club so an experienced beekeeper can walk you through your first mite check (this one alone can save your colony)
⏰ Mistake #2: Opening the Hive Too Much (or Not Enough)
Too much: Every inspection disrupts the colony. You break propolis seals, release heat, stress the bees, and risk crushing the queen. None of this is a good look.
Too little: You miss early signs of problems — laying workers, failing queens, disease, overcrowding that leads to swarming.
The sweet spot: Inspect every 7–10 days during active season. Keep it under 15 minutes. Use a checklist: Is the queen present? Eggs? Is the brood pattern solid? Enough food? Signs of disease? Get in, get your answers, get out.
🍯 Mistake #3: Harvesting Honey the First Year
Your first-year colony almost never produces surplus honey. They're building comb from scratch, growing their population, and storing food for winter. Taking honey from a first-year colony is like emptying someone's savings account right before a layoff.
What to do instead:
Leave ALL the honey for your bees the first year
In cold climates, colonies need 60–100 lbs of stored honey to survive winter
If they're light going into fall, feed them: 2:1 sugar syrup
Your patience pays off. A strong colony that survives winter produces significantly more honey in Year 2.
📍 Mistake #4: Bad Hive Placement
Common placement mistakes:
Full shade: Bees need morning sun to get active early
No windbreak: Winter winds hitting the entrance directly can be devastating
Low ground: Hives in low spots collect moisture and cold air
Entrance facing the wrong way: Point it south or southeast
Too close to foot traffic: Bees fly in a direct line from the entrance
The ideal setup: morning sun, afternoon shade (in hot climates), entrance facing south/southeast, elevated on a hive stand, windbreak on the north side.
🍬 Mistake #5: Not Feeding New Colonies
When you install a new package or nuc, those bees are starting from near zero. Not feeding is the most common beginner mistake — and the easiest fix.
Feed 1:1 sugar syrup from day one of installation
Use an in-hive feeder (entrance feeders invite robbing)
Keep feeding until they've drawn out most of their comb
In fall, switch to 2:1 syrup for winter stores
🎯 This Week's One Thing
Do a mite wash. If you have bees right now, test your mite levels this weekend. Search “alcohol wash varroa mite count” — the University of Guelph has an excellent step-by-step walkthrough.
🍯 Next Issue
“The Gear That Actually Matters” — what to buy, what to skip, and where most beginners waste money.
Found this useful? Forward it to a friend who's thinking about getting bees. The more beekeepers, the merrier — I speak from personal experience.
— Bee 🐝