Looking to start keeping Bees

[Georgia Boy]

I am interested in getting a beginer beekeepers kit. I do have several questions that ya'll might can help me with.

1st Is it to late this year to start a hive? It is full blown spring here in GA. I don't want to get them started to late to make their food for winter.

2nd In the kits you don't get a super. If I'm reading right you have to have a super to get honey. Is this right, or can you get honey from the kits with out a super?

3rd who has the best deal on the start up kits?

I have already emailed a local beekeeper to try to go see his set up and talk bees. Also I bought beekeeping for dummies. It just hasn't arrived yet.

Thanks
Georgia Boy

[Mike in Pa]

Heck no you aint too late but you too late to BUY bees. Most won't sell them this late. If you find one that will let me know. built the ---- hive and now can't get the bees! GL.

[Beeman]

Contact your Ag agent and find out if there is a local beekeeping assoc. Also find out if there is a local bee supply. Many beekeepers will sell nucs which are like a partial hive. You would transfer all of the nucs frames and bees to your hive body. They would be much more established with drawn comb and brood and would give you a jumpstart.
To rob honey from a hive it is easier if you have supers. First reason being is the lower larger box is the brood chamber where you want the queen to be laying eggs and raising brood.

[CJ]

I think both Betterbee in NY and ManLake in MI sell beginner kits with supers included.

[Georgia Boy]

Their is a man advertising nuc's for sale not far from here for $55 with bees.

If I get one and transfer the bees will I need another queen, one for the nuc and one for the hive? Or will they rebuild on their own? Or do I leave the nuc empty till I need it again?

[Terri]

A nuc is a mini-hive. It has a queen, drones, workers, brood, and enough honey and pollen for a few days.

Just transfer all of the frames, bees and all, into your hive box. Set the empty nuc near the entrance so that the stragglers can re-join the hives. All done.

$55 dollars for a nuc is the going price for our area, by the way.

[justgojumpit]

I do say, you have come to the right place! we are soon going to have our own beekeeping forum here! As to your questions:

Is it too late to start a hive?

Nope, I got my bees in their hives yesterday, and they seem to be doing quite well, already returning with pollen! Earlier is ideal, but you'll be fine to get them within the next few weeks.

can you get honey without a super?

no, unfortunately not. you will need to have supers for each hive, adding them as the bees fill the previous one to about 80%. the reason for this is that in the fall, after you have collected your share of the honey, you insert mite control strips, which have miticides you dont want to have get into your honey. Also, the bees need the bottom two boxes to raise their brood and for pollen and nectar to get them through the winter. you can take anything beyond the bottom two boxes (if you live in the northeast, this varies from region to region)

Who has the best deals?

this depends on your location. see my post about beekeeping links on the admin board.

There is a man advertising nucs for sale not far from here for $55 with bees.

get one before they're all gone! you will take the frames from the nuc and put them in your hive. it already has a queen. you leave the nuc empty until you need it to make a split of your own or to house a swarm.

there are some informational links too on my thread on the admin forum. best of luck with your beekeeping ventures,

justgojumpit

[kosh]

Betterbee.com has complete hives and complete hive kits. They have reasonable prices. I've ordered a couple of times from them.

Good luck with your bees!

peace,
Jason