Beginner with lots of questions

Welcome to Beesource!


My suggestion is that you delay making a decision on purchasing any equipment for a while, and use the time to read more about the various choices available.

Assuming you start with live bees next spring, there is no reason to decide on any equipment yet, and there are some fundamental choices that you should better understand before making a purchase decision.

A key decision to consider early is hive style/size (assuming you want to start with Lang style hives). 10 frame, 8 frame, deep+mediums, all mediums are all choices that will affect how you keep bees, and are not so easy to change after you have started down one path.

Spend more time on Beesource before buying anything. Aside from the normal forums, read everything in this one: http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?275-How-to-Start-Beekeeping
It may not give you all the answers, but it should at least help you identify the questions.


Most of the time, complete kits are not the best way to buy. Make a list of what you actually need instead. You are likely to find that there are good deals to be had around Thanksgiving as dealers ramp up for the Christmas selling season.

I'm a newbee myself. I read for about a year before jumping in. And I did not start with a beginner kit.

I was given a smoker. Then I got a suit that I liked and fit me (too bad it turned out to have a bad zipper and has to be replaced already). Gloves, same thing. Then I got started with woodenware, which I bought from a semi-local place that builds the boxes, after deciding how big I wanted (I have all 8 frame mediums). I've purchased this and that along the way, none of which was included with the beginner kits but I found indispensable for me, like instead of a regular hive tool, I use one with a hook on the end and a pair of frame grips...and they don't include those in the kits.

If you can find somewhere to feel and play with things, that will help you decide what to buy that best fits you, not what someone else thinks you need.

A couple books I like and would suggest as part of anything you buy would be "The Beekeeper's Handbook" and "The Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping." They vary a little in philosophy but have lots of good tips.

Hello from a fellow Capital Region (2nd year) beekeeper.

A couple of quick suggestions: Join Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association, ASAP. They have great programs, including (for members) the opportunity to visit other members' apiaries and see and participate in beekeeping activities. The also run classes during the winter and Spring. Google for contact info for them I think it costs $15/yr and is well-worth it.

There is another club, the Bennington Beekeepers' Association, which is hosting the VT State meeting soon, possibly next weekend, in Bennington. They are having one of the best speakers (Dr. Tom Seeley, from Cornell) do a presentation. He is a great and most people really enjoy listening to his programs which are useful for beekeepers of all levels. A state meeting is always a place to see displays, and meet other beekeepers. I think the info about the Bennington meeeting is on the SABA website.

You would also find it useful to drive up to Betterbee in Greenwhich, NY (sort of opposite Saratoga Spa, but in Washington County to the east of it.) Take 787 to Troy, turn left a second light after you cross the Collar City Bridge on to Rt. 40. Stay on 40 northbound through Troy, Speigeltown, Melrose, Schaghticoke, Easton, until you get to the rotary in Middle Falls (about 30 miles), then go east about a mile towards Greenwhich, and take a left at the Meader Rd. light (first after Tractor Supply shopping center). They are open until 1 pm on Saturdays. They have a great display room of equipment and very helpful staff. You can look online for them and request a catalogue, too. Their stuff is very well made and they have a comprehensive line. I agree you don't need to buy stuff now, but looking over Betterbee's offerings in person will make you better informed when buying things in the future, no matter which supplier you use. If you plan on joining SABA and going on apiary visits this summer (highly recommended!), you might want to get a jacket and gloves right away. That way when you get your bees next summer, you'll feel at home in it, which is part of the battle. And if you decide for some reason that bees are not for you, then you will have spent the least amount of money to discover that.

If you need links or better directions, please post and I'll add more.

Hope you have as much fun with your bees as I had last summer in my first year!

Enj.

DP, welcome to the hobby. Folks have given you some great advice. I too would recommend waiting until 2015 to get your first bees. When I decided I wanted to start keeping bees the man that would become my mentor sold me hives of bees in the fall of the year *but* told me to let him overwinter them and if one died out he would let me pick another one. In other words, he didn't want me, as a beginner, to start out having to take care of bees through the toughest part of the year. In your neck of the woods it is much harder to overwinter bees than it is down here in south Alabama.

What I would do is make contact with some beekeepers and home in on two sources for your bees and get a deposit put down on a couple of hives or nucs. Then spend some more time studying, talking (forums like Beesource and other forums are great for feedback and info!) and figuring out what type of setup you want...8 or 10 frame...all mediums or a mix of deeps and mediums...foundation or foundationless...solid or screened or IPM bottom boards...migratory or telescoping tops...plastic or wood frames....etc,. etc,. Then you have your choice of protection...just a veil and long-sleeved shirt or a jacket or a suit...ventilated or traditional cotton? ...and more.

Lots of things to figure out before getting your bees.

If you could find someone to work with some in their bees that would be great. That person might also be the person you end up buying your bees from. Definitely go to some beekeeper meetings. Normally in the fall and winter lots of large associational/regional meetings are held.

Of course, if you're just itching to get some bees now, you might try a 5-frame nuc if you can locate one. You can work on building it up to overwinter..knowing that there is a chance it might not make it but also knowing that there's a good chance that it will.

Btw, it is often recommended to start with two colonies so that you can compare them to each other. This helps to see if one is lagging behind and also gives you resources you can swap between them...larvae, honey, whatever. Also, having all the same size boxes and frames makes it easy to swap things between hives rather than having two different sizes of frames, foundation, and boxes.

Best wishes on your new adventure!
Ed