No! You are very welcome whether you have bees, or not, as long as you have an interest in bees and beekeeping. There are different classes of membership with different subscription rates according to your needs.

Possibly! Seek help from your local Beekeeping Association, who will be able to advise you on the suitability of the site. Should your garden be unsuitable there are other possibilities such as an out-apiary. Your local Association may know of suitable sites.

• Join your local association. Look at the Get Started pages on this website.
• Attend a Beginners course if possible. This should include ‘hands on’ experience at the branch apiary (see East Devon Beekeepers course).
• Befriend a beekeeper who can mentor you in the early days.
• Read books on bees and beekeeping from the local library. As a member of East Devon Beekeepers you can borrow books from the branch library.

You can find the costs involved by looking at the beekeeping equipment suppliers’ websites (see Links page). Most suppliers have both ‘made up’ and ‘self assembly’ hives. The latter are cheaper. Alternatively you may be able to pick up second hand equipment. This will need to be thoroughly cleaned before use to avoid the spread of disease. Making your own equipment is a possibility but be sure you understand the concept of ‘bee space’ before you attempt this. Equipment is covered on most well-run beekeeping courses.