Please Help A Newbie Get Bees For 2 Hives?

[jscotttalbert]

Hi -

My wife & I are homesteaders & homeschoolers. Love God, Gold, Guns, and Gardens.

Trying to salvage valuable skills like canning & beekeeping before that knowledgeable generation is gone.

Older beekeeping neighbor seems to be winding down, and I've convinced him to "teach me the trade" if I can get bees to fill 2 hives.

I'm not trying to be a honey-making superstar here... just secure a working knowledge, apart from just reading books, before it's too late.

Frankly, I've perused this forum and confess I don't even know what a "nuc" is. All I can tell you is he'll hands-on teach me what to do if I can find bees.

Any help would be much appreciated - we live in NE Oklahoma near NW Arkansas/Fayetteville area.

Thanks,
Scott
918-797-0693

[Vance G]

You are getting very late for this year. Go to the For Sale section and do some leg work. Find the advertizers closest to you and enquire. All these dying out beekeepers are generally amenable to helping someone who is going to save the art. They may not have bees left to sell, but usually some can be tracked down. Good luck.

[tsk]

I'd point you to the place I spent a lot of time reading when I first started: http://bushfarms.com/bees.htm.

You also should try to get a few packages of bees asap if you want to do it this first year (as Vance suggests). I feel a little like I jumped in the first year and figured things out the first winter when I had time to read about all the things I did wrong the first year (I actually read about them in the beginning but forgot or ignored them the first season).

[ScubaMark]

I second the recommendation for the link above by TSK.

A good way to get bees and do it the homesteader's way is to use bait hives to attract swarms. Here is a good link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRfEhAXaeyQ

You better get building quickly. The weather means the swarms will be early this year. Drones in Fayetteville, AR area are already flying, so swarms won't be long to follow.

[tsmullins]

Hi -
Older beekeeping neighbor seems to be winding down, and I've convinced him to "teach me the trade" if I can get bees to fill 2 hives.

Your local Beekeepers Association is probably a great place to get a lead on some bees. Since you already have a mentor, you should be in great shape.

Shane

[BiG T]

You can still order packages from a few places expect them around May. Hardeman Apiaries 912-583-2710 Italians and Russian Hybrids . Gardner's 912-367-9352 WILBANKS 912-739-4820...

[Skinner Apiaries]

Just a little advice, I learned from old timers. And they were dumb and superstitious. Id have more bees if I'd started out learning from someone with several thousand boxes to start with, or read books to start with at least...

[BMAC]

Hats off to you if you have someone local who will educate you about the inside of a beebox. if you want some bee try your local farm extension. they should be able to direct you to the right place.