Our Beekeeping Journey: From Hive Apprentice to Mentor

🐝 Starting Your Beekeeping Journey on a New Mexico Farm: What You Need to Know

When starting a farm, you probably think of chickens, goats, or horses. But one often overlooked homesteading animal is bees. Are you curious about beekeeping? Wondering what you need to know and how to get started?

In this post, we’ll share how we dipped our toes into beekeeping, where we are now in our journey, and the important considerations before you begin your own beekeeping adventure here in New Mexico (or elsewhere).

What Makes Honey Bees Special?

There are many kinds of bees in the wild, but the honey bee is unique for its ability to gather nectar and produce large amounts of honey. Honey bees have evolved alongside humans and are considered semi-domesticated. You don’t train bees like pets, but rather care for them and support their growth each season.

This article, and others in our New Mexico beekeeping series, share what we’ve learned during our apprenticeship with the Hives for Heroes Program and our experience as third-year beekeepers. (This is mostly Ronak’s story — Holly prefers to peacefully coexist with the bees!)

🐝 Bee 101: Key Terms Every New Beekeeper Should Know

Hive:

The home of the bees, usually a wooden box with removable frames where the colony lives, stores honey, and raises brood. Hives come in different forms — stay tuned for future discussions on each and why we chose ours!

Frames:

Rectangular structures inside the hive where bees build their honeycomb. Frames can be pulled out for inspection, honey harvesting, or maintenance. They may be bought pre-built or ready-to-build, and can come empty or with foundation (a wax or plastic base for bees to build comb on).

Queen Bee:

The single reproductive female in the hive responsible for laying all the eggs. She’s larger than other bees, and usually surrounded by worker bees. The queen faces many challenges in her life and is the heart of the hive, so be especially careful with her during inspections!

Worker Bees:

Female bees that do all the tasks in the hive — foraging, feeding the queen and larvae, cleaning, and defending the hive. Don’t stand in front of your hive entrance or you may get a direct impact from one of these ladies as they buzz on by.

Drone Bees:

Male bees whose main job is to mate with a queen from another hive. They don’t gather nectar or pollen.

Swarm:

When a colony becomes too large, the old queen and about half the workers leave the hive to find a new home. Swarming is natural but something beekeepers watch for. Most of our bees come from natural swarms, which means their exact origins are a blend of local genetics —a classic New Mexico crossbreed!

Brood:

The eggs, larvae, and pupae — the developing bees in the hive. Hold your frames up to the light for a better look!

Pollen

The protein-packed dust bees gather from flowers to feed their growing brood and keep the hive healthy. Unlike nectar, pollen isn’t sweet—it’s the bees’ main source of nutrients. Did you know different color pollen comes from different kinds of plants? Try to figure out what your bees are foraging!

Nectar:

The sugary liquid collected from flowers that bees convert into honey. Uncapped is nectar, but once dehydrated and capped, it becomes delicious honey!

Honeycomb:

The hexagonal wax cells built by bees used to store honey, pollen, and house the brood. Sometimes bees make some wonky comb. Best to nip that in the bud by removing anything too out there promptly.

Mite:

Tiny parasitic pests (like Varroa mites) that can harm bee colonies. Beekeepers regularly monitor and treat hives to control mites. In a future article, we’ll talk about how to treat your bees if you don’t have electricity nearby. Too many mites are a major cause of swarming or hive abandonment, so make sure you keep an eye on things!

Our Beekeeping Journey: From Curious Beginners to Mentors

Year 1: Beekeeping Apprentice

“Don’t try this at home — do it at your mentor’s place!”
Ronak had wanted bees pretty much since we started building the farm, and true to form, he was ready to jump right in without much research. Holly, however, wasn’t on board with that approach. She gave him a requirement: find a mentor and spend a year learning before getting your own bees — or no bees.

We joined the Hives for Heroes program (which is 100% free!) and were assigned a mentor. At his mentor’s apiary, Ronak experienced his first hive inspection — thousands of little yellow and black striped fuzzballs buzzing everywhere, ready to defend their home with a sting. He quickly learned that the old axiom, “If I don’t bother the bees, they won’t bother me,” didn’t quite apply when you’re beekeeping, since much of the work involves bothering the bees.

The buzzing and chaos were intense at first, especially as the bees reacted to a new person. Over weekly visits inspecting different hives, Ronak gradually mastered calm movements, proper handling of equipment, and how to avoid agitating the bees. By the end of the season, he was ready to prepare for his own hives.

Year 2: Our First Hives

“The bees are home!”
Part of the Hives for Heroes graduation is receiving your first hive (just the bees — you provide the supplies). After telling Holly he was ready, supplies started magically showing up at our back door (Holly did her research too!). Ronak and his mentor made a split from another hive in Albuquerque and brought our first bees to our East Mountain farm. Our bees are what you might call “New Mexico mutts” — a mix of whatever genetics thrive locally, adapted to our climate.

By fall, we had grown from one hive to three. By late fall, we had to combine two late swarms for the winter as they didn’t have enough bees to survive on their own. After sending one of the queens off to a new home with another beekeeper, we were ready to enter our first winter (which can be rather harsh — we’ve gotten down to -12°F before!). With careful tending — and a lot of hand-wringing — all the hives made it through the cold months.

Year 3: Becoming Mentors Ourselves

“Spreading the knowledge”
Now in our third year, we’re managing four hives, which is the maximum our apiary can currently support. This feels like a good number to handle without becoming overwhelmed, though who knows what the future holds! We’ve also started mentoring our own apprentices.

Part of this blog’s purpose is to organize and share the knowledge we’ve gained, providing an easy way for apprentices and readers to access information. Keep in mind, though, beekeeping is local — what works for us may not be the same for you. Plus, everyone has their own way of doing things! Here at Fuzz & Buzz, we recommend trying a little of everything until you forge your own path. That’s what we did, and we’re still learning one inspection at a time.

3 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Beekeeper

Our journey has taught us a lot about what it really takes to care for these incredible creatures. But before you dive in yourself, there are some key questions you should honestly ask to make sure beekeeping is a good fit for your lifestyle and space. Let’s take a look at the three essentials to consider before starting your own hive.

1. Are You Allergic to Bee Stings?

Even with the best protective gear, you will get stung. Ronak wears a veil attached to a jacket and gloves, while Holly suits up head-to-toe. Ronak’s been stung through both veil and gloves — sometimes bees hold a grudge for things you do that really annoy them!

It’s important to know how you react to stings. If you haven’t been stung recently or don’t know your reaction, consider getting tested. We learned through testing that we aren’t allergic. If you are allergic or have strong reactions, beekeeping might not be for you. Allergies can develop over time with repeated stings, so always prioritize safety. Keep appropriate medicine handy, and talk to your doctor about carrying epinephrine just in case.

2. Do You Have Enough Space?

Bees need room. Our county requires about 5 feet of space around each hive and 2–3 feet between hives. Commercial beekeepers space their hives closer, but we prefer the wider spacing to have plenty of room for inspections.

In a typical suburban yard, one or two hives is usually the max — especially since during peak activity, tens of thousands of bees buzz around. Having at least two hives has been helpful for us to compare hive behaviors and share resources when needed.

Besides space for the hives, beekeeping equipment takes room too. We have a 10x10 shed, half full of boxes, frames, and tools, plus freezer space to store wax-filled frames — freezing helps kill pests like wax moth larvae and prevents disease transmission.

3. Do You Have Time?

There are beekeepers and bee-havers. Beekeeping requires time — sometimes just occasional visits, sometimes early mornings for mite treatments or other urgent care. How often you inspect depends on the season and your bees’ condition. Expect to spend around 20–30 minutes per hive every two weeks when conducting thorough inspections. Your particular situation may require less time (or more!)

Why Beekeeping Is More Than Just Keeping Bees

Beekeeping teaches mindfulness, a connection to the land, and respect for the smallest members of our ecosystem. Whether you’re considering your first hive or just love the buzz of a thriving apiary, beekeeping is a rewarding journey.

🐝 Coming Soon: Your Complete Guide to Becoming a Confident Beekeeper

Watch for these upcoming articles to help you master beekeeping step-by-step:

• Getting Started: Your Beginner’s Guide to Beekeeping Gear

• Top Beekeeping Books Every Newbee Should Read

• Suit Up! Choosing the Right Protective Equipment for Beekeeping

• Which Beekeeping Veil is Right for You? A Newbie’s Guide

• Why Every New Beekeeper Needs a Journal: Tips for Tracking Your Hive

• Spotting Trouble Early: A Beginner’s Guide to Hive Health Checks

• Protecting Your Bees: Safe Apiary Setup, Predator Control & Wind Protection for New Beekeepers