Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
If you want the start of your beekeeping career to go smoothly, make sure you have
hives, tools, clothing and this topic before you obtain the bees. As noted earlier, I was
presented with a swarm of bees in a duvet cover as a surprise birthday present. This
wasn't the best way to start! You can obtain this equipment as follows:
Buy a complete beginner's kit, or individual items from a good bee-supply company.
This is the most expensive way. (See the list of suppliers at the end of this topic.)
Obtain second-hand equipment from a local beekeeper or beekeeping association
auction. This is cheaper than the previous way but runs the risk of such diseases
as AFB. Having said that, if you buy a hive of bees at an auction, it should have
had a disease inspection before the sale. Most auctions insist on this and have a
visiting inspector. Ask about this. Used, empty hives on their own won't have been
inspected and so may contain unnoticed diseases.
Make your own equipment. This is an economical option, and all plans can be
found at
www.beedata.com.
While this way is possible with the hives, I recommend
buying the other tools and clothing new unless items in excellent condition can be
had at a bee auction or from another beekeeper.
Buy bees in a nucleus (or two) from a reputable supplier, obtain a swarm from a
beekeeper or buy a package of bees for installation in a prepared hive from a bee
breeder/producer. Or you could buy an existing colony in a hive. All these sellers
will advertise in the beekeeping magazines or you can ask your local beekeeping
association for the swarm. Arrange for the bees to arrive only when you have
everything ready.
It is easier to buy/obtain your bees in the spring. This is because you will then be able
to see how the bees develop in their own year, from being a small colony or nucleus, to
growing rapidly, to swarming, to building up their honey stores and, finally, to slowing
