Skip The DIY Hive: The Amazon Find For Beginner Beekeepers

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whether you love watching them work from flower to flower or are just in it for the honey, beekeeping, otherwise known as apiculture, is a practice that many individuals are drawn to. The methodical technique of tending these buzzing insects — with a smoker in hand and donning a full bee suit, of course — is a hobby which requires lots of practice, patience, and usually quite a bit of money to begin. If you've thought of saving money by transforming wood into a functional DIY beehive, there's a budget-friendly and beginner-friendly Amazon find that lets you skip the DIY: the MayBee 8-Frame Beehive Starter Kit.

Retailing for $131.99, this thoroughly packed kit has almost everything you need to begin your journey as a newbie to beekeeping. It comes with a beeswax-covered 8-frame beehive, as well as a smoker with pellets, gloves, and a bee suit. The tools in the kit include a frame grip, J hook, spur wire wheel embedder, and bee brush, each of which has a special role when it comes to managing your hive. It also comes with the tools you'll need to mark the queen bee.

When constructed, the beehive itself measures 14 ¼ inches wide by 22 inches long by just over 15 inches tall; it is crafted from cedar, which is known for its durability in outdoor conditions. The frames themselves are made from food-grade plastic, and since they're coated with natural beeswax, they will help the bees to get a head start on building out their comb and creating a successful colony. At the time of writing, customers had given this kit a 4.5-star average from over 130 reviews. Buyers praise the piece's quality, as well as how easy it is to set up this beehive.

The MayBee Starter Kit is a solid option for anyone interested in dipping their toe — figuratively speaking, of course — into beekeeping. One five-star review on Amazon's website states "Overall, this is an excellent starter setup for anyone getting into beekeeping. It looks great, feels durable, and made the process much less intimidating for a first-time beekeeper. I would definitely recommend this kit to others looking for a complete beginner-friendly hive setup."

Some customers, however, criticize the bee suit; one mentions that it's not long enough for tall individuals, while another says that their kit came without the bee suit entirely. Yet another buyer wrote that the bee suit was on the thin side and might not offer the protection against stings that newer beekeepers need, saying "It's nice to have as a backup, but if you're worried about potentially getting stung, I would definitely recommend upgrading the suit."

This kit comes with almost everything you need to get started, but you'll still have to track down some bees if you want a honey-producing hive. Since this product already is fitted with frames that bees can build their combs directly into, investing in a package of bees (which can be immediately transferred to the MayBee hive) can be a practical option. If you're wanting a local bee option, you can try attracting bees to your hive with a fragrant essential oil, using this kit as a bait hive to trap a local swarm. You can also bring more bees into your yard and garden with some expert tips, like planting more native flowers.