BEES PLZ Prepares for Its First Season of Beekeeping

Editor’s note:
This post was written during the site’s earliest beekeeping season and reflects first-year expectations, uncertainty, and early decision-making. It’s kept as a record of what starting out actually looked like, mistakes included.

Beginning in the spring of 2017, the decision to enter the world of beekeeping was made with more enthusiasm than preparation.

Ordering a hive online was easy. Opening the box when it arrived was easy. Removing the neatly packed wooden parts was easy. What was not easy was realizing that none of those steps actually prepared anyone for what came next.

There were no instructions. Just a pile of parts, a photo online, and the assumption that everything would come together if it looked close enough.

The first hive assembly took over six hours. Pieces were installed incorrectly, removed, adjusted, and reinstalled more than once. Some modifications were necessary. Others were simply the result of not knowing better at the time.

The second hive went faster. The third faster still.

What changed was not the equipment, but the understanding of how much precision actually mattered and how much did not. Experience quickly showed that bees care very little about aesthetics and very much about function.

As the season approached, new tasks continued to appear. Painting and protecting wooden equipment was not part of the original plan, but it quickly became another item on a growing checklist. Opinions on finishes, colors, and materials were plentiful. The common theme was that lighter colors tend to perform better, especially in warmer conditions.

Early on, there was a strong desire for visual consistency. Matching finishes, coordinated covers, and a uniform look across all equipment felt important. In hindsight, most of those choices mattered far more to the beekeeper than to the bees.

What mattered more was placement, patience, and learning to observe instead of constantly adjusting.

Preparing for the first season felt like a constant balance between excitement and uncertainty. Every decision seemed important, even when it wasn’t. That tension is a common part of starting out.

Understanding how hives function and what bees actually need came slowly, through repetition and mistakes rather than perfect planning.

For a broader understanding of how hives operate as systems, see the Hive page.
For a clearer picture of what beginners typically encounter in their first year, the Beekeeping 101 guide provides useful context.

Looking back, preparation was less about getting everything right and more about becoming comfortable with not knowing yet.

The first season didn’t begin with bees. It began with learning how little control there really is.