There’s a particular kind of excitement that arises when someone first feels the call to keep bees. I’ve seen it spark through dreams, synchronicities, ancestral memory, and profound encounters—both in waking life and altered states.

But this isn’t just curiosity—it’s a stirring. A yearning to participate, however humbly, in the great, humming intelligence of the hive.

If you’re feeling that pull, here are 10 sacred and practical steps to begin your natural beekeeping journey:

STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION THOUGHTFULLY

Bees thrive in locations with:

• Morning sun or dappled light (especially in cool climates)
• Wind protection from a hedge or fence
• Low foot traffic
• Proximity to nectar and pollen
• Dry, elevated ground—not damp or shaded hollows

Spend time in the place. Ask the land. Feel into it. Notice how your body responds to the space. Sit there quietly for a few days at different times—dawn, midday, evening—and observe the light, the wind, the sounds, and the life around you. This is not just about practicality, but relationship. Let your intuition and your  body guide you. Do you feel welcome there? Do you sense a hum beneath the soil, a stillness that invites presence? This kind of attunement helps you choose a site not only suitable for bees but aligned with the spirit of the land.  If you’re not sure what your supposed to feel, place your hand on your belly and simply ask your body, is this location a “yes” or a “no”.  Listen for  an inner response. Your body always knows. 

STEP 2: KNOW YOUR LAND AND ITS FORAGE

Healthy bees need biodiverse landscapes. Plant for pollinators using a mix of herbs, veggies/fruits, and flowers.  Here are some common favorites:

• Herbs! Borage, lavender, mint, yarrow, thyme, sage
• Veggies and Fruit: Squash blossoms, stone fruit, apple and pear, berries, cucumber, brassicas, alliums.
• Flowers: redbud, poppies, hyssop, echinacea, aster, goldenrod, penstemon

Planting is one of the most effective ways to support your bees and other native pollinators.  Above all, DON’T USE PESTICIDES.  Also, clean water access is essential. 

You are not just keeping bees—you are tending an ecosystem. Take walks around your area during different seasons to see what blooms and when. Pay attention to the wildflowers, trees, and even weeds—many are nectar sources. The more you know your land, the better you can support your bees and deepen your sense of rooted reciprocity.

Consider asking your land if it needs anything?  Listen to sudden insights, dreams, gut feelings, and more to help you determine how to tend the land.

STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR HIVE STYLE

Select a hive that fits your climate, body, and values:

• Langstroth: Modular, widely used, customizable for natural methods, heavy to lift, best for honey yield. 
• Warré: Mimics a tree cavity, minimal interference, best insulation, most prone to cross-comb = harder to inspect for many.  Also consider the Comfort Hive, which is somewhat similar.
• Top Bar: Horizontal, easy on the back, highly relational, smaller and prone to swarming (which I consider a good thing).
• Other styles: Layens hive, log hive, skep, and more

Each hive has strengths and weaknesses.  Let the style match your intention. Consider your physical strength, your desired level of involvement, and the type of relationship you want with your bees. Do you want regular honey harvests or a more observational role? The hive becomes an extension of your philosophy, so choose the one that allows you to show up with care and consistency.

STEP 4: SOURCE BEES RESPONSIBLY

 Start with integrity:

• Swarms: Natural, vigorous, and deeply aligned with the land
• Packages: Widely available, but often stressful for bees—choose local and treatment-free if possible
• Nucs: Overwintered mini-hives, available mostly for Langstroth
• Splits: Artificial swarms created by beekeepers, rare for top bars

Start with bees who have been respected. Ask where they come from, how they were raised, whether chemicals or antibiotics were used. The way you begin matters. Bees that come from strong, local genetics are more resilient, and beginning your journey with ethically sourced bees establishes your role as a guardian rather than a consumer.

STEP 5: GATHER TOOLS AND PREPARE

 You’ll need:

• A bee suit or veil
• Hive tool and smoker
• Gloves & boots
• A stand or platform for the hive
• Offering items like flowers, stones, or herbs

Set up your hive so it’s ready for bees.  Make sure it’s level and that the hive is prepared for the elements.  Whetherize the hive with bee-safe, eco-friendly paint, tung oil, or linseed oil and beeswax.

Create a “dreaming hive”—a space ready to receive bees, scented with wax or propolis, and full of intention. This isn’t just setup—it’s ceremony. You might sing, pray, or make an offering. Allow the empty hive to become a vessel for future life. Treat it as a sacred threshold where your intention meets the potential of an unseen colony yet to arrive.

STEP 6: INSTALL YOUR BEES WITH CARE

Install in the late afternoon if possible. Let them march into their new home on a bee ramp or pour them gently into the hive (that only applies to swarms and packages).

Feed new colonies honey-syrup as needed (especially packages), reduce the entrance if they’re small, and then let them settle. After installation, resist the urge to intervene too soon. Allow them a few days to orient, build, and settle in. This quiet time is part of establishing trust—like the first days of meeting a new animal companion. Begin the relationship slowly, with observation and deep respect.

STEP 7: FEED THOUGHTFULLY

Feed a 1:1 honey or sugar-water solution. Allow for days off between feedings so bees can forage.

Swarms often need less help than packages. Trust your observations. Feeding is not just technical support—it’s an offering. Notice how they respond, how quickly they build comb, whether they’re flying well. If they seem slow or uncertain, a little sustenance can make all the difference.  If you have a package of bees you must feed them, because they were not prepared to start a new home the same way a swarm is.  I feed honey-water syrup combined with a nutritive bee tea (Spikenard Farms). 

STEP 8: MAKE INTRODUCTIONS

This is a sacred relationship. Speak to your bees. Offer songs or words of love. Sit quietly and listen. The path of the bee guardian begins with reverence. Just like with any spirit ally, let the introduction be genuine. Share your name. Let them know your intentions. You don’t need to say much—just that you’re listening. This can become a grounding ritual, the start of a lifelong dialogue with the hive and the land around it.

STEP 9: OBSERVE, LEARN, TEND

After installation:

• When you do open the hive, some time in the first 4-7 days, look for eggs and brood
• Watch their flight and listen for the hum
• Feed if needed, gently open the hive when appropriate
  

But more than anything—just be with them. Sit beside the hive regularly. Watch for patterns. Learn their rhythms. Beekeeping is not just technical; it’s relational. Your greatest education will come from the bees themselves. Become their student. Let them teach you how to see, listen, and respond with presence.

STEP 10: START SLOW, STAY SACRED

You don’t need to know everything. Start in right relationship—with the bees, the land, and your own learning process. Let your path unfold slowly. Natural beekeeping is not a race to harvest honey or master techniques. It’s a living apprenticeship in humility, care, and kinship. Begin with reverence, stay curious, and honor each season as it comes.

WANT SUPPORT?

Natural Beekeeping: A Beginner’s Guide is a gentle, four-hour self-paced course that offers everything I wish I’d had when I began. Rooted in ecological wisdom, bee-centered care, and sacred relationship.