Hello from Midland, MI

Good Morning everyone!

I am a "brand new" wannabe beekeeper. I have done some research, but I have not purchased any equipment yet, because honestly I am so confused with all the information out there! I kept coming to this forum on my internet searching, so it seems this is pretty popular. Hopefully I can get some answers to often mentioned problems, but hardly any solutions.

I have never dealt with any kind of bee hive. I don't think bees really bother me, as I had a lot of plants last summer that they loved and I was fine with that. However, I also know there is a big difference between letting them fly and actually messing with their hive.

I knew an old neighbor who had a beehive, and thought that was pretty cool. I want to get into beekeeping because of the bee population issues, to better my garden and the local area, the honey (I'd be lying if that wasn't a motivating factor), and because I really think it would be a neat thing to do.

So hello everyone!

Hi Leo813,
Welcome to the site! Lots of great info here. Use the search function to find old threads on different topics. As you're reading, just remember that people have different opinions and that there are usually multiple ways to accomplish/solve something.

If you're interested in going through a hive, talk to a local beekeeper and tag along when they go. If you want to make a trip to Gaylord, I'd be happy to be that guy. I'd recommend purchasing a beginners book so you can get a good idea of what you might be in for. I like Dadant's "First Lessons in Beekeeping". Lots of great info on the site. Good luck, and if you want to chat about it or something, send me a PM (private message) and we can trade contact info.

-Erik

Welcome to the forum Leo.
Eric, you buy woodenware from Northern Bee up there?

Those are ALL good reasons to explore beekeeping! And you're doing the right thing by learning as much as you can and exploring your options before taking the plunge. I read half a dozen books and went to local club meetings for almost a full year before getting my first bees.

You are already discovering that beekeepers have as many and varied opinions as economists. My suggestions is that you learn as much as you can about the biology of the honeybees, and use that knowledge to make your own informed decisions as to hive type, treatments (or lack thereof), etc. And get involved with one or more local beekeepers associations... local beeks seem to offer a lot more helpful and regionally specific information vs the million opinions you'll get on a web forum.

Good Luck !

Thanks everyone. I've signed up for some newsletters form a Michigan Bee Assoc, and will be getting some books this week.

Welcome to the site and the addiction! As everyone has already said, there is a wealth of information out there, and everyone has a different opinion. I've found everyone here to be very helpful (for the most part) since I joined last year around the time I got my first two hives. A book I really enjoyed and would recommend to any new beek is "The Idiots Guide to Beekeeping." It really is quite good, and I still go back and reference it from time to time.

In case you don't realize (because a lot of people, myself included) miss the boat when they want to get started, now is the time to be ordering your bees. Some places have already started taking orders, and the rest will be taking orders very soon, so if you plan to have bees this year, you'll want to get looking pretty soon.

Good luck, and once again, welcome.

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Originally Posted by tefer2

Welcome to the forum Leo.
Eric, you buy woodenware from Northern Bee up there?

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No, I hadn't heard of them till you said something just now. I'll definitely look into them. Thanks for the tip. :)

Welcome Leo!

Welcome! I'm a newbee too. I ordered three books from Amazon tonight. The wife and I are signing up for beginner classes this week. Four packages in March!!!

I'll be ordering books and a hive package tomorrow, and signing up for classes. Whoo! This is really exciting. Thanks all for the welcomes!

Leo,

I'm new to this site as well. I live in Hope, just North of Midland about 12 miles or so. So far, I have fabricated two complete Langstroth hives, each with two deeps for brood, and two supers for honey collection...not that i expect much in the first year. I've been doing a fair bit of reading and research on the matter of bee keeping. I'm at the point where i need to decide to but a couple of packages. I hope this new hobby works out for both of us.

Peacock- Don't be too surprised if you end up using those supers. I started two packages at the end of May last year, and even with the drought I did end up putting a second super on one hive. Hopefully we have better weather this year and you'll need them.

It looks like I'll be starting with a couple of 5-frame nucs. In a random "small world" kind of way, I'll be collecting them from my hometown of Greenville, MI. Starting with 5 drawn frames should put me a bit ahead of the game. I may well have some honey when it's all said and done.