Beekeeping Basics

Agent must follow these rules when working with non-US users:

Sources & Verification
Langstroth, L.L., "The Hive and the Honey-Bee" -- foundational text on modern hive management, continuously updated editions
Kim Flottum, "The Backyard Beekeeper" -- practical beginner reference, updated regularly with current best practices
Bee Informed Partnership -- annual survey data on colony losses and management practices. beeinformed.org
American Beekeeping Federation -- industry standards, beginner resources, and local club directory. abfnet.org
State apiary inspection programs -- each US state has an apiary inspector; contact through state Department of Agriculture
USDA ARS Bee Research Laboratory -- varroa mite management and disease identification resources
When to Use
User wants to start keeping bees and doesn't know where to begin
Someone wants to improve garden or orchard pollination
User is evaluating whether beekeeping fits their property, budget, or lifestyle
User has bees and is dealing with basic first-year management questions
Someone inherited a hive or found bees on their property and needs next steps
Instructions
Step 1: Evaluate whether beekeeping fits your situation
Agent action: Ask the user about their property, local regulations, budget, and time availability. Check for deal-breakers before they spend money.

Property: [ ] Outdoor space with room for hive(s) — minimum 10x10 ft area [ ] Access to morning sun (east or south-facing preferred) [ ] Water source within 50 ft (or willingness to provide one) [ ] Flight path can be directed away from foot traffic and neighbors [ ] No one in household has confirmed bee sting allergy (get tested if unsure)

Regulations: [ ] Check municipal/county ordinances — search "[your city] beekeeping ordinance" [ ] Most suburbs allow bees; some require registration or limit hive count [ ] Some HOAs prohibit beekeeping — check CC&Rs before investing [ ] Setback requirements (distance from property line) vary — typically 10-25 ft

Budget: [ ] $300-500 for first hive setup (see equipment list below) [ ] $150-250 for bees (package or nucleus colony) [ ] $50-100/year ongoing (replacement frames, treatments, feeding) [ ] Total first year: approximately $500-750

Time: [ ] 30-45 minutes per week during active season (spring through fall) [ ] Inspections every 7-10 days from spring buildup through fall prep [ ] 1-2 full days for honey harvest (once per year for beginners) [ ] Winter: minimal — occasional external checks only

Step 2: Get equipment
Agent action: Walk the user through the complete equipment list. Recommend a starter kit to save money, then explain what each piece does.

Hive components (buy as a kit — saves 20-30% vs individual pieces):

Protective gear:

Tools:

Optional but useful:

STARTER KIT TOTAL: $300-500 (without bees)

Buy unassembled kits to save more — assembly requires wood glue, nails, and 1-2 hours. Paint exterior with latex paint (any light color) to protect from weather. Do NOT paint the interior.

Step 3: Get bees
Agent action: Explain the three ways to get bees, with a clear recommendation for beginners.

Option A: Package Bees — $150-180 What you get: 3 lbs of bees (~10,000) + a mated queen in a cage When: Order in January, arrives/picked up in April-May Pros: Widely available, affordable, predictable timing Cons: Bees and queen are strangers — takes time to establish Best for: Most beginners

Option B: Nucleus Colony (Nuc) — $200-250 What you get: 5 frames with established brood, honey, pollen, workers, and an accepted laying queen When: Available April-June from local beekeepers Pros: Already functioning colony — higher first-year success rate Cons: More expensive, limited availability, must pick up locally Best for: Beginners willing to spend more for better odds

Option C: Catching a Swarm — Free What you get: A full-size colony that left another hive When: Spring swarm season (April-June) Pros: Free bees, often very healthy and vigorous Cons: Requires experience, unpredictable timing, unknown genetics Best for: NOT beginners (do this in year 2+)

RECOMMENDATION: Buy a nuc from a local beekeeper if available. Package bees are the backup plan. Order early — they sell out.

Step 4: Place and install the hive
Agent action: Guide optimal hive placement and installation.

[ ] Full morning sun (east-facing is ideal — gets bees active early) [ ] Wind protection on north/west side (fence, building, hedge) [ ] Slightly elevated (hive stand, cinder blocks, or pallet — 12-18") [ ] Level side-to-side, slight forward tilt for rain drainage [ ] Flight path directed away from walkways and neighbor activity [ ] Water source within 50 ft — birdbath with landing stones, dripping faucet, or shallow pan with pebbles [ ] Accessible for you to work from behind the hive [ ] Not in a low spot where cold air pools

INSTALLATION DAY (package bees): 1. Set up hive with 5 frames removed from the center 2. Spray bees lightly with sugar water (1:1 ratio) 3. Remove queen cage, check queen is alive 4. Place queen cage between two center frames (candy end down) 5. Shake/pour bees into the gap in the hive 6. Replace remaining frames gently 7. Place inner cover and outer cover 8. Install entrance reducer to smallest opening 9. Place a feeder with 1:1 sugar syrup 10. Leave them alone for 3 days, then check queen release

Step 5: Learn the inspection routine
Agent action: Teach the user what to look for during weekly inspections and how to keep them efficient.

What you need: smoker lit, hive tool, suit on, 15-20 minutes max

Light the smoker:

What to look for on each frame:

QUEEN STATUS: [ ] Queen spotted (don't stress if you can't find her every time) [ ] Fresh eggs present (tiny white grains standing up in cells) -> Eggs mean the queen was here within the last 3 days [ ] Healthy brood pattern — solid and consistent, not spotty

BROOD HEALTH: [ ] Capped brood is tan/brown and slightly convex (healthy) [ ] No sunken, greasy, or perforated cappings (signs of disease) [ ] No deformed wings on emerging bees (varroa damage) [ ] No foul smell (American foulbrood — SERIOUS, contact inspector) [ ] No chalky white mummies (chalkbrood — minor, improve ventilation)

FOOD STORES: [ ] Honey stores visible in upper corners of brood frames [ ] Pollen in a rainbow of colors near the brood [ ] If stores are low in spring: feed 1:1 sugar syrup [ ] If stores are low in fall: feed 2:1 sugar syrup

SPACE: [ ] Brood box 80%+ full -> add another box or super [ ] Signs of congestion -> bees may be preparing to swarm [ ] Swarm cells (queen cells on frame bottoms) = swarm is imminent

KEEP IT UNDER 20 MINUTES. Every time you open the hive, you disrupt temperature, humidity, and the bees' work. Get in, check, get out.

Step 6: Manage through the seasons
Agent action: Walk through the full yearly cycle so the user knows what to expect each season.

SPRING (March-May):

SUMMER (June-August):

FALL (September-November):

WINTER (December-February):

Step 7: Deal with varroa mites
Agent action: Explain varroa testing and treatment. This is the single most important management task.

Every colony has varroa mites. The question is how many. Untreated colonies typically die within 1-2 years.

TESTING (monthly during active season):

Alcohol Wash (most accurate): 1. Scoop ~300 bees (half cup) from a brood frame into a jar 2. Add rubbing alcohol to cover 3. Shake vigorously for 1 minute 4. Strain through #8 hardware cloth 5. Count mites

Sugar Roll (non-lethal alternative): 1. Same collection method 2. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 3. Roll and shake for 1 minute 4. Shake sugar and mites out through #8 mesh 5. Count mites

THRESHOLD: 3 mites per 100 bees = TREAT IMMEDIATELY (That means 9 mites from a 300-bee sample)

TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Oxalic Acid Vapor (OAV):

Formic Acid (MAQS or Formic Pro strips):

Apivar (amitraz strips):

TEST -> TREAT -> RETEST (2 weeks after treatment ends)

Step 8: Harvest honey
Agent action: Walk through when and how to harvest, and how much to leave for the bees.

WHEN:

HOW MUCH TO LEAVE:

EXTRACTION METHODS:

Crush and Strain (best for beginners — $0 in equipment): 1. Remove capped frames from honey super 2. Cut comb from frame into a bucket 3. Crush with a potato masher or similar 4. Strain through a fine mesh bag or double-layer cheesecloth 5. Let gravity do the work — takes 12-24 hours 6. Bottle in clean mason jars

Extractor ($150-300, or borrow from your bee club): 1. Uncap cells with an uncapping knife or fork 2. Place frames in extractor 3. Spin — centrifugal force pulls honey out 4. Strain through a sieve 5. Let settle in a bottling bucket for 24 hours 6. Bottle

YIELD: A healthy established colony produces 30-60 lbs of surplus honey per year in a good area. At $8-15/lb retail, that's $240-900 worth of honey from one hive.

If This Fails
Bees seem angry or aggressive? Check that your smoker technique is right (cool white smoke, not hot). Inspect on warm, sunny days when foragers are out. Requeen if the colony is consistently aggressive — genetics matter.
Colony died over winter? This happens to everyone. Diagnose the cause (starvation = no honey stores, varroa = deformed wings and spotty brood, moisture = moldy frames). Learn and start again in spring. Reuse the equipment.
Can't find a local beekeeping association? Search "[your state/province] beekeeping association" or check the American Beekeeping Federation directory. Most counties have a club, even rural areas.
Neighbors complaining? Point flight paths upward with a 6-ft fence or hedge. Provide a water source so bees don't use the neighbor's pool. Share honey. Most complaints disappear when people get free honey.
Allergic reaction after a sting? Localized swelling is normal. If you experience throat tightening, widespread hives, dizziness, or difficulty breathing, use an EpiPen if available and call 911 immediately. Get allergy tested before continuing beekeeping.
Rules
Always recommend joining a local beekeeping association before buying anything
Never advise harvesting all honey from a colony — winter starvation kills colonies
Varroa mite management is not optional — emphasize testing and treatment
If someone reports severe allergic reaction symptoms, direct to emergency services immediately
Seasonal timing must be adjusted for the user's hemisphere and climate zone
Do not recommend catching swarms for first-year beekeepers
Tips
A mentor from your local bee club is worth more than every book and YouTube video combined. Most clubs pair new beekeepers with experienced ones for free.
Start with two hives if you can afford it. Having two lets you compare — if one is thriving and the other isn't, you can diagnose faster and even share resources between them.
Keep a hive journal. Date, weather, what you saw, what you did. You won't remember in six months whether that spotty brood was in April or June.
Bees are calmest on warm, sunny afternoons when the foragers are out working. Don't inspect on cold, rainy, or windy days — they'll be home and irritable.
Your first year is about keeping the colony alive, not harvesting honey. If you get a jar of honey in year one, consider it a bonus.
Smoker trick: once lit, stuff a wad of green grass on top of the fuel. It cools the smoke and makes it last longer.
Agent State

Automation Triggers

- name: seasonal_transition condition: "management.current_season HAS CHANGED" action: "Season is shifting. Let's review the task list for the upcoming season to make sure nothing gets missed — feeding schedule, equipment prep, mite treatment timing."

- name: harvest_readiness condition: "management.current_season = 'summer' AND management.supers_on_hive > 0" schedule: "biweekly July-August" action: "Time to check your honey supers. Are frames 80%+ capped? If so, it may be time to harvest. Remember to leave adequate stores for winter."

- name: winter_prep_check condition: "management.current_season = 'fall' AND harvest.winter_stores_adequate IS NULL" action: "Fall prep is critical. Have you pulled honey supers, treated for varroa, and confirmed your colony has 60+ lbs of stores for winter? Let's go through the checklist."