From the founders
Your first season should be your best beekeeping season. There are a few things that trip people up, though - and they're usually not what you'd expect.
Most first-year colony failures come down to a handful of avoidable mistakes. Our co-founder Alex has watched the same patterns play out with beekeepers across Europe and the US. This week we're sharing the five most common ones, including the one Alex says accounts for "99% of failures."
Plus: two step-by-step guides for starting a colony from scratch, whether you're coming from an existing hive or starting fresh with a package.
— The Primal Bee Team
The five mistakes that tank first-year colonies
Your colony looks incredible. Built out the nest in days. Bees everywhere. Supers going on.
That's exactly when most first-year beekeepers make the mistake that costs them everything.
Strong early results — especially in a thermally efficient hive — can make beekeepers assume they can coast. Our co-founder Alex has seen this pattern play out across Europe and the US. It follows the same sequence nearly every time.
Varroa mismanagement — the most common by far. Colonies look so healthy that beekeepers delay treatment. The infestation grows invisibly for months. Test mite levels regularly. Treat after the last nectar flow.
Starting with already-infested bees — some packages arrive with Varroa loads so high that no amount of expert management can save them. Source carefully. Ask suppliers about their mite management protocols.
Wrong syrup concentration — the standard American 1:1 ratio is too dilute. Bees waste energy evaporating excess water, and the moisture promotes Nosema. Use 80/20 sugar-to-water.
Wrong hive configuration — using incompatible supers, skipping the follower board, incorrect entrance plugs. Follow the setup guide exactly.
Over-inspecting — every hive opening disrupts the thermal environment the bees are maintaining. Use external cues first. Only open above 18°C (64°F).
🐝💥 Varroa mites just met their plus-one.
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🐝 CUSTOMER STORY: Simon Geissbühler, Swiss Ambassador to Israel
Simon Geissbühler had zero beekeeping experience when he installed his first Primal Bee hive in the garden of the Swiss embassy residence in August 2025. His connection to Primal Bee came through the embassy's innovation team, which had helped bring the founders together years earlier. With mentoring from co-founder Tomer Moldovan, Simon's colony thrived through its first season.
"I very shyly asked if it was possible to have a hive in the garden of the residence. I was not really an expert... I didn't know if you can keep bees in the middle of the city."
Six months in, Simon treats his bees with the seriousness of a diplomatic assignment: "It's a little too much to say that they are my babies, but still, I take responsibility for them and I take it very seriously."
Until next time
Spring is coming. If you're planning to start a colony this year — whether from a package or a transfer — the guide above walks through both paths and the mistakes to avoid along the way.
Coming next: When should you actually do your first spring inspection? Most beekeeping advice gives you a calendar date. We think that's the wrong approach. Next issue, we're breaking down temperature-based timing, what to look for on warm days, and the early-season mistakes that set colonies back before they've even started building up.
Until next time,
The Primal Bee Team 🐝