Beekeeping is an inherently local process. What works best for one beekeeper will often fail for another because of even minor differences in climate, forage or the traits of his/her sub-race of bees. Also, the needs and goals of the hobbyist beekeeper will be very different from the needs and goals of the commercial beekeeper. Nevertheless, there are some generally accepted leading practices that have wide relevance. Please review the discussion of these practices on the Talk page before applying them.
The practices on this page are sorted by "Generally Accepted" vs. "Controversial or Emerging" practices and within those categories by the most likely audience - "All", "Hobbyist" or "Commercial" beekeepers. (So far, no leading practices have been identified that are uniquely appropriate to the Sideliner beekeeper.)
Generally Accepted
All beekeepers
;Standardize your equipment: Standardized equipment will make it easier to interchange hive parts, frames, etc. between hives as needed.
;Treat for disease only as needed: Over-use or inappropriate use of medications to treat disease or pests will lead to increased resistance to the medication.
;Label honey with place of origin: Honey, like wine, picks up unique flavors from the flowers and nectars in the local environment. Each varietal will have a distinct taste and mouthfeel. Labeling your honey with place of origin can distinguish it from mass-market blended honeys which have lost that unique flavor.
;Storing pollen: To store pollen for feeding the next spring, freeze in zip-loc bags.
Hobbyist beekeepers
;Re-queen annually: There are many benefits to annual re-queening (some of which are still disputed), but the most relevant benefit to the hobbyist beekeeper is that a young queen (<13 months) emits stronger pheromones and therefore hives with young queens rarely swarm. Since hobbyists often keep hives in residential areas with non-beekeeper neighbors, swarm control is a high priority.
;Inspect often: Inspecting your beehive is an important way to learn about bees, bee behavior, etc. Frequent inspections will expose you to more types of behaviors and help you learn more quickly. The trade-off in lost honey production is generally worth the education value.
;Spray labels with hairspray: Many hobbyist beekeepers make their own labels for honeyjars. The ink on homemade labels often does not hold up well to routine use. Spray the page of labels with hairspray before applying them to the jars.Commercial beekeepers
;Inspect only when necessary: Inspecting beehives disrupts the bees, kills some and takes time and labor. It has been estimated that each inspection is the equivalent of reducing the bees' productive time by 3 to 7 days.Controversial or emerging practices
All beekeepers
;Food Grade Mineral Oil as a miticide: Recent research by Dr __ and others has suggested that a Food Grade Mineral Oil (FGMO) vapor fogged into the hive can be an effecitive miticide. The vapor droplets are sized to interfere with the mites' respiration without affecting the respiratory apparatus of the larger bees. Research continues in order to 1) improve the consistency of results and 2) improve the cost-effectiveness of treatment.
