A sting-free guide to becoming a DIY beekeeper

For most of the United States, spring has finally sprung. But it didn’t get here on its own. Everyone’s favorite season arrived, in part, on the fuzzy, pollen-caked back of a humble bee. These little buzzers not only force the world out of winter and into bloom, but also ensure our food security by pollinating our crops. On top of all that, they create a foodstuff of their own—sweet, sweet honey.

It’s no wonder beekeepers seem to be cropping up in every garden and rooftop. The hobby isn’t just delicious; it can be lucrative, with honey, combs, and other bee byproducts like soap proving blockbuster successes at farmers’ markets. And if nectar doesn’t convince you to establish a beehive of your own, the bumbling bee’s . Many honeybee populations (which comprise of the in the world) have seen . For their disappearance, humans tend to blame “colony collapse disorder”, a catchall phrase that encompasses bee deaths caused by habitat loss, pesticides, and varroa mites.