Backyard Beekeeping Basics
Set up your first backyard hive with confidence — learn how to house, feed, inspect, and harvest honey from your own bees, no experience required.
What you'll learn
What you'll be able to do
- Identify the three castes of a honeybee colony and explain each one's role
- Select an appropriate hive style (Langstroth, top-bar, or Warre) for your specific space and goals
- Source bees safely from a reputable supplier and successfully install a package or nucleus colony
- Conduct a thorough hive inspection using proper technique, smoke, and protective gear
- Recognize the signs of a healthy queen and a laying worker situation
- Identify and manage the two most common threats: Varroa mites and small hive beetles
- Perform seasonal hive management tasks including adding supers, winter prep, and spring checks
- Harvest, extract, filter, and bottle raw honey from your own hive
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 19 lessons
The World Inside the Hive
Build a solid foundation by understanding honeybee biology, colony structure, and behavior before you ever put on a veil. Bees make much more sense — and become much less intimidating — once you understand what they're actually doing and why.
- 1.1Meet the Colony: Queens, Workers, and DronesIncluded
- 1.2The Hive as a SuperorganismIncluded
- 1.3The Annual Cycle of a Honeybee ColonyComing soon
Gear, Hives, and Getting Set Up
Navigate the overwhelming world of beekeeping equipment with clarity. You'll choose the right hive style for your situation, assemble your gear list, and get your space ready before your bees arrive.
- 2.1Choosing Your Hive: Langstroth, Top-Bar, and Warre ComparedComing soon
- 2.2Essential Gear: What You Actually Need vs. What's OptionalComing soon
- 2.3Siting and Preparing Your Hive LocationComing soon
- 2.4Assembling Your Hive from the Ground UpComing soon
Getting Your Bees
Source, order, and install your first colony safely and successfully. This module covers the two most common acquisition methods — packages and nucleus colonies — and walks you through installation day step by step.
- 3.1Where to Get Bees: Packages, Nucs, and Local SwarmsComing soon
- 3.2Installing a Package of BeesComing soon
- 3.3The First 30 Days: What to Watch ForComing soon
Hive Inspections: Reading Your Bees
Develop the single most important beekeeping skill: the ability to open a hive calmly, work through it methodically, and know what you're actually looking at.
- 4.1Inspection Technique: Smoke, Frame Handling, and Body LanguageComing soon
- 4.2What a Healthy Hive Looks LikeComing soon
- 4.3Spotting Trouble: Common Problems and What They MeanComing soon
Seasonal Management and Hive Health
Learn what your colony needs in spring, summer, fall, and winter — and how to manage the two biggest threats every beekeeper faces: Varroa mites and hive beetles.
- 5.1Spring Build-Up and Adding SupersComing soon
- 5.2Varroa Mite Management: The Non-NegotiableComing soon
- 5.3Winterizing Your HiveComing soon
Harvesting and Using Your Honey
The payoff module. Learn when and how to harvest responsibly, extract and filter raw honey, and bottle it properly — plus a few ideas for what to do with wax and other hive products.
- 6.1Knowing When and How Much to HarvestComing soon
- 6.2Uncapping, Extracting, and FilteringComing soon
- 6.3Bottling, Labeling, and Storing Your HarvestComing soon
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from your teacher
David Idell
Hi, I'm so glad you're here — and I want you to know that I was exactly where you are right now not that long ago. I'd been fascinated by bees for years but convinced myself it was too complicated, too dangerous, or just not practical in my suburban neighborhood. I was wrong on all three counts.
I started with a single Langstroth hive in my backyard and made every beginner mistake in the book. I've had queenless colonies, a Varroa crash, and one very memorable inspection where I forgot my veil. But I've also harvested over 80 lbs of honey in a single season, watched my garden transform with pollinator activity, and spent countless quiet mornings just listening to a healthy hive hum. It changed how I see the natural world.
I designed this course to be the resource I wish I'd had — honest, practical, and focused on building real skills rather than just theory. Every lesson reflects what actually matters in the hive. I can't wait to walk you through your first season.
— David Idell
Start your journey today
Get instant access — learn at your own pace with an AI coach in your corner.
$89/mo
Recurring billing · cancel anytime
This school isn't accepting enrollments just yet. Check back shortly!
Secure checkout · Instant access
- 6 modules, 19 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed
17 more lessons coming soon at no extra cost.