Hi new here from SC

Oh yea btw I need a mentor real bad. Lol I am hooked. So if you live in York, SC help me out. BTW I am into old school BBQ and cook a mean Boston Butt lol

Welcome to Beesource!


If I may, allow me to suggest that you should plan to start out with at least two hives. The road is likely to be less rocky that way.

So I'm looking at about $1000 buy in to get 2 hives?

Rader Sidetrack said:

Welcome to Beesource!


If I may, allow me to suggest that you should plan to start out with at least two hives. The road is likely to be less rocky that way.

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+1 on Rader's comment, and Welcome to Beesource! I started with 3 packages this last Spring, and frankly only have one good hive right now. I wouldn't know how average or below average my other two are, if I didn't have the good one to compare them to. I think I've learned a little thus far, with the three.

There is no reason that you HAVE to spend $1000 to set up 2 hives. You can build you own boxes, tops and bottoms, if you wish, with fairly simple tools. You have lots of time available yet to figure that part out. Some people catch free swarm bees to get started, but I wouldn't advise counting on that.

You could conceivably set up two hives, with purchased bees, a veil and a smoker, for less than $400 if you are prepared to do some scrounging and building equipment yourself.

You do not have to build hive bodies with fancy finger joints, or even rabbeted corner joints. You could start with simple butt joints to start with. Scrounge free wood - use what you can get - the bees won't care.

Join a local club now, not next spring - and go to the meetings. You are likely to learn a lot.

Hey there Charles! I am Dave down at Columbia.

Here ya go...
http://www.yorkcountybeekeepers.org/index.php

Like Graham said...go with at least two hives. You should be able to get your bee packages a lot cheaper through the bee club in the spring, too.

This has been my first year. It has been a real learning curve. We are here...so don't be afraid to ask. You can also PM us, too.

Go to the mann Lake site, they have budget boxes for about twelve dollars each, can't make them any cheaper, I ordered twenty and not a cull in the bunch, free shipping right now for orders over 100.00, as for bees I am a firm believer in local survivor bees, so look around for a local guy that raises his own bees, it will save you money and headaches. I run foundationless on frames I get from Kelly bee supply, I think my bees do better making their own comb, also is cheaper and less complicated. JMO

Google up Horse Creek Honey. They are near ish your area and Good folks.

Welcome Charles!

Welcome, I'm about 140 miles SE of you, down on the edge of the Pee Dee and Low Country. Since you're a welder, you're accustomed to doing things with your hands. You can make most, if not all of your equipment. I buy my boxes from mann lake, I've got a independant lumber mill in town, and 6 lumber yards within a 30 minute drive, and can't make boxes for what Mann Lake can send them to me for. I make everything else off the plans from this site. A frugal, well researched person could turn that $1000 into a dozen or more hives with patience. For stuff you need in a pinch, Dixie Bee Supply is in Lancaster. The SC Beekeepers webpage has a good listing of the states clubs, there's a york county listing. The recommendation has been made for "local, survivor bees", before buying ask what they have been treated with and for in the last 2-3 years. If the list sounds like a chemotherapy presciption, walk away.

Thanks a lot for all of your information and the welcomes. I'm excited to start this hobby and share it with my wife and loved ones.

I also do most of my ordering from Mann Lake. $100 or more free shipping. I get the commercial grade hive boxes and they are great. Mann Lake will have their winter sales at reduced prices for boxes...so wait and order then. You can subscribe to their email sales fliers online.
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/

With beekeeping... you always need to thinking ahead and have extra hives ready to go in the spring and summer for new swarms and doing splits, etc. It's a very dynamic hobby/lifestyle if you get into it. It can pay for itself once you have had your hives more than one year and take care of the colonies. Not many hobbies can do that.

Welcome! Since you're a welder, send me your email address in a PM and I'll email you plans for an extractor. You could probably make it in day from materials you already have on hand....

You're gonna love beekeeping!!

Thanks Anil I'm trying to figure out how to pm you. Yea detractors seem pricey. I've researched a few. My email is my screen name here @gmail.com I'd definitely like to try my hand at an extractor

Plans sent! It's a great little extractor.........I live in Manning, SC.....just a wee bit too far to mentor. However, you can get all the verbal mentoring you need right here on BS. Don't forget, join a local club....

For future reference, one way to send a PM (private message) is to click on the screen name of the person you want to send a PM to, then follow the prompts.

Welcome to BeeSource!

Welcome to BeeSource! Definitely do lots of research before you get your bees. Also, most suppliers start taking orders in January, so be sure to get your order in early. I didn't know that and almost missed out on ordering bees my first year.