New beek🐝. I?m overwhelmed

[gabsgrammy54]

Just starting beekeeping. I live in southwestern Michigan. Picking up package bees on May 26th 2018. I?ve been reading, watching videos, joined a bee club and the more I find out, the more confused I get. There?s so many opinions, methods etc. that it?s hard to know what to do. I got the ?Beekeeping for Dummies book which came with my kit. It?s an easy read and gives me a starting point. I?m also purchasing Langstroth?s book The Hive and the Honey Bee book that was updated in 2015.  After all my research I?ve come to the conclusion that I need to try out what I think best and hopefully it will work. There?s so many variables with beekeeping that I need to find what works for me by trying out different methods. Anyway, I hope I posted this in the correct forum. I will appreciate any and all help I will get From this forum.

[gww]

gabs
You have put in writing how I feel most of the time that I am in my hives.  It does get better.  I still feel that way but my bees are very forgiving and live in spite of it.  I do a lot of asking while it is happening.  Some simple things like the life cycle chart on michaels bush's web site is worth memorizing.  It tells you the timeing in each stages from egg to mated queen in a chart.  Other then that, people will help with the questions you ask.  You may git several ways of doing something and it will be up to you that has to do the work to pick the best advice for you to use but most will be good enough to get by on.  It sounds like you are doing the correct thing as long as you are reading those books and then when you see in person, some of it will start to click.
Good luck
gww

[BeeMaster2]

Welcome to Beemaster.
You are experiencing the same thing that most of us have gone through. The saying goes ?Ask 3 beekeepers a question and you will get 5 answers?.
Use the information to help you make a decision as to what you want to do in your circumstance.
This is the place to ask questions, we love to answer them. Don?t worry if they were asked before, this is all new to you and we were all in your shoes at one time. Ask away.
Jim

[Acebird]

Welcome.
If you feel overwhelmed then do less and let the bees do more.
The bees just need a box.  You need to put frames in the box that you can remove while the bees are in it.  The bees will need to draw comb for brood and storage.  They will gather what they need if your location is not in a dearth.  If you feel overwhelmed then use foundation in your frames and I would suggest wax.  That will require you to do less.  So other then providing boxes with frames at the right time there is no reason to get overwhelmed.  That is happening because you are reading about beekeeping procedures that you might need or want to do 3-4 years down the road.
You have packages coming.  Focus on what is necessary to install them.  Yes, there will be several different methods.  Most likely they all work if people are describing what they do.  Pick the one you like.  The only thing I would caution you on would be to not combine ideas.  That may not work.  Read about how people do things and then follow that procedure to a tee.  After you have experience you will be better able to judge what you can combine and what you can't.
Good luck with your bees.

[Dallasbeek]

Welcome.  Like some of the advice above says, if you don't know what to do, do nothing.  The bees have been doing this for millions of years without our "help".

Feel free to ask questions and read, read, read.

[Michael Bush]

If someone tells you "you have to do this or all your bees will die" and someone else says "you can't do that or all your bees will die" they are both mistaken.  If everyone says you need to do or not do something, that is probably true.  In the end bees are very adaptable and thrive under all sorts of conditions.  Usually the biggest advantages or disadvantages to one method over another are for the beekeeper.

[Beeboy01]

MB has it right, don't get overwhelmed in the details. I try to follow the K.I.S.S. method of beekeeping. Count and treat for mites, don't let them get too overcrowded, have regular inspections,  pull the honey and have fun.  Also you will get stung so don't be too surprised or upset when it happens.