Overview:
Want to raise your own hive? The Butterfly Pavilion's Beekeeping Bootcamp discusses best practices and honey bee threats that you should know.
In 2024, Denver gardener Clayton Robertson adopted a honey bee colony. Little did he know that his hives would be decimated and plagued by varroa mite infestations. After ordering a brand new colony from his provider, To Bee or Not To Be, he plans to start fresh and stay on top of the mites this coming year.
“You do what’s called a wash on your bees to see the percentage of bees affected with mite ratio,” Robertson explained. “And [the infestation] can change really quickly from about a third to 15 percent in the course of a month or two.”
These kinds of issues are fairly common among amateur beekeepers. “You can’t just buy bees and put them out in the yard and leave them for the whole year,” Lorna McCallister, who is one of the Butterfly Pavilion’s bee experts, said. “Part of being a sustainable beekeeper is managing them well.”
The Butterfly Pavilion’s Beekeeping Bootcamp is designed to help beginners learn the tricks of the trade. They are repeating their first session, “Beekeeping Basics,” which was originally scheduled for Jan. 25 but pushed back to Feb. 1, again on Feb. 15. In total, the camp has five ascending sessions until Sept. 20 that are hands-on and range from honey and wax extraction to mid-season management and maladies—all for an entry fee of $200.
“For bees to prosper, it takes more people doing the research and instead of being a bee-haver, being a bee-keeper,” Bootcamp instructor McCallister said. People came from all over Colorado for the first session. The common interest of all was the survival of honey bees and trying their hand at a new hobby.
A mother-daughter duo and couples in attendance brought a conversational-style lecture with little jargon. Between lectures, McCallister interweaved displays of equipment and addressed the questions about honey bees and how the reign of the queen works.
Although these classes claim to cover “all the basics,” the topic of how to manage honey bees is contentious with many different opinions. Part of the disagreement stems from the fact that honeybees are not native to the United States, having originated in South and Southeast Asia. Concerns also stem from threats to native bees, pest control, climate change, narratives about honey bee extinction and much more.
“Last year, there was pretty good nectar until about mid-July and then it was dry,” McCallister said. “A lot of bees then couldn’t collect enough honey to survive winter, so even seasonal changes two seasons ahead of time can affect the bees throughout the year.”
This dry spell in Colorado is just a taste of what bees will face if climate change proliferates. If the trend persists, colonies will perish, plant populations will shrink and food crops will be at risk—ultimately imperiling what we see on grocery store shelves.
The use of pesticides compounds these challenges. Robertson urges gardeners to take a simple approach for the bees: “Don’t use herbicides and pesticides in gardens; do things as simply as possible.”
The Beekeeping Bootcamp not only addresses how aspiring beekeepers can responsibly conduct themselves but also helps people decide if their “bee pets” are the right buzz for them.
“You should do hands-on work with hives, especially if you’re not sure, because some people think they want them and they get into a hive and they’re like, ‘Hoo, this is not what I expected,’” McCallister said. While the first session isn’t hands-on, it is an all-encompassing lecture that can cure indecision, give pointers on credible suppliers and delineate the basics.
For the average beginner—with a nine-to-five, children, pets and other time commitments—it won’t be exhaustive work, according to McCallister, who also balances a nine-to-five and manages her neighbors’ hives. However, both McCallister and Robertson said around every two weeks one should put aside up to 30 minutes to an hour to tend to the bees.
And for those on a tight, unforgiving budget, there is room to thrift beekeeping supplies and hives, McCallister indicated.
“But be careful with what diseases are out there for bees: for good measure, bleach and sanitize,” said McCallister. “Compared to skiing in Colorado, though, it’s very affordable.”
Robertson adds that, although he “spent quite a bit of money,” you don’t necessarily have to break the bank beekeeping. “I bought all the stuff for three different hives, all the bells and whistles to play with and experiment,” Robertson said. “But you can always meet someone to split hives with.”
Interest in beekeeping was at its pinnacle under lockdown during COVID-19 and over the past decade, the hobby has soared.
“Beekeeping is fascinating,” Robertson said. “I didn’t realize how much time I would spend just sitting there watching my bees go back and forth from the hive.”
Although honey bees—with their complex social structures, life cycles, and more—are captivating, the hobby merits more than passive admiration.
“I recommend everyone should take a class, regardless of if it’s this one, and join a club because the wealth of knowledge from older beekeepers is huge,” McCallister said.
Learn more about the Butterfly Pavilion’s Beekeeping Bootcamp at butterflies.org.
