Alamo Area Beekeepers Association (AABA) recommends taking an Introduction to Beekeeping class before purchasing any bees or beekeeping equipment. The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension in Bexar County typically holds a “Beekeeping 101” class in the spring (March/April) and the fall (September/October). See link below for the Spring 2025 class.
https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/beekeeping-101-live-class/
There are some good (and not so good) beekeeping education accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. We suggest starting with a solid foundation provided in an introductory course before going too far down the social media beekeeping wormhole. Also, please keep in mind that many of these accounts are not located in the central Texas area and situations can be vastly different by location. Your best bet is to find an experienced mentor in the area once you get your bees and join your local bee club.
We suggest new beekeepers start by purchasing at least 2 starter colonies commonly referred to as nucs. A nuc (nucleus colony) typically contains 5 frames of bees (~10,000 bees) with an established queen bee. Most nucs are designed for Langstroth style hives (stackable boxes with wooden or plastic frames) which is the most common style of hive in the US. The nuc will be in a temporary hive structure so you can transport them and then you will need to transfer the frames into a permanent Langstroth hive body shortly after bringing them home. To do this you will need to purchase beekeeping equipment and protective gear before picking up your bees. Another common way to obtain bees is to purchase a “package” of bees (3 pounds of worker bees and a caged queen). While this is a cheaper route than purchasing a nuc, a package is also more difficult to get established and we do not recommend them for brand new beekeepers.
Recommended Beginner Beekeeping Books:
“The Backyard Beekeeper” by Kim Flottum (Fourth or Fifth Edition)
“Beekeeping for Dummies” by Howland Blackiston
“First Lessons in Beekeeping” by Keith Delaplane
“Queenspotting” by Hilary Kearney
Recommended Beekeeping Podcasts:
Beekeeping Today Podcast
Two Bees in a Podcast
Beekeeper Confidential
The Alamo Area Beekeepers Association (AABA) does not endorse or recommend any private or commercial beekeeper, product, process, or service. Nothing on this site serves as a warranty or guarantee of goods and/or services. AABA’s intention is to provide information only.