Cautiously optimistic newbie!

[BoothBees]

Well there go the deposits!

Roll on next year!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well there go the deposits!

Roll on next year!

Keep us in the loop.
Remember if you don’t t know what to do, do nothing close up and ask here.

 

[BoothBees]

Keep us in the loop.

I definitely will. I've already learned so much just being here.

 

[BoothBees]

I'm debating getting some of the kit now, particularly in term of the hives. I'm looking at the Honey Paw Langstroth hive. There's a complete kit, consisting of ventilated floor, telescoping roof, full depth brood, 2 supers (mediums), frames, wax, entrance reducer, queen excluder and strap. That's available for £211.20.

That feels like a good price, but I'm wondering if it could be discounted further in the sales. What's your experience of sales on these parts? Do they tend to get discounted further in sales or should I just place the order?

 

[BoothBees]

I pulled the trigger on the hives. I went for 3 Honey Paw Langstroth hives, each with two supers. I'll be ordering additional supers another time. I'll need to paint them too.

I'm looking at beekeeping suits and other equipment now. Can I get some recommendations or comments on my initial selections?

I'm looking at various smokers from Thorn, Abelo and Simon the Beekeeper, but wondered if anybody could recommend a specific one.

I'm currently leaning towards the Simon the Beekeeper Defender bee suit with a fencing style veil. It looks like really good value.

Thanks!

 

[BoothBees]

For the Smoker, I'm thinking about the Thorne Empire stainless steel smoker with guard. It seems to be noted in a few places as a good smoker.

Beekeeping suit wise, I'm leaning towards the Swienty Breeze. The suit looks really well crafted and I really like the look of the hood on that suit.

When I get my first colonies, would you recommend that I have some feeders to hand in case they need support in the spring? I'm thinking about grabbing three feeders for the Honey Paw Langstroth hives ready, as I'll no doubt need them at some point anyway, but I'd rather be prepared than not.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Smoker. Dadant. You won’t regret paying a little extra.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Smoker. Dadant. You won’t regret paying a little extra.

 

[BoothBees]

My Honey Paw Langstroth hives have arrived!

My wife said "Oh great, they're nicely boxed up. You'll be able to keep them stored nicely until Spring."

They're now unpacked, all over the kitchen, and it's chaos.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They're now unpacked, all over the kitchen, and it's chaos.

Why?
Did you let the bees out too?

 

[BoothBees]

Did you let the bees out too?

No bees yet, it's just the amount of parts. My wife looked at the kitchen table and I felt her wrath!

 

[ericbeaumont]

looks like really good value

Beware that seductive supermarket mindset: what looks tempting value online will not be so six weeks into a sweaty season, and enough beginners have gone before you to discover the expensive truth, that a good value piece of kit that looks so similar to one significantly dearer, turns out not to be fit for purpose.

I reckon Honey Paw is the best of the Langstroth poly because it's a good design, well-made and without drawbacks. Ask Paul Beardmore at Modern Beekeeping about frames for HP boxes, because Lang designs are not all the same. Had you taken the National route, Abelo would have been the number one choice.

A Dadant smoker will stay alight and last you a lifetime; all else is inferior.

Beesuits? Either buy very cheaply (here's one on sale for £9) or buy quality from BBWear or Sheriff, but I lay money that the cheap won't last (zips go, mesh buckles, heavy cotton leads to sweaty, disgruntled beekeeper) after which you'll be eager to dig deep.

Good value is not the same as a cheap bargain in a sale. Go instead for quality, the extra expense of which spread over 15 years will seem a pittance.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No bees yet, it's just the amount of parts. My wife looked at the kitchen table and I felt her wrath!

You need to get used to this feeling. It’s for the duration of your beekeeping life unless you have an alternative delivery address.
Work?

 

[JamezF]

A Dadant smoker will stay alight and last you a lifetime; all else is inferior.

I find it hard to understand how it's possible to get a smoker wrong (though I'm not denying that some manufacturers do). It's not exactly a complicated bit of kit, after all.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

I find it hard to understand how it's possible to get a smoker wrong (though I'm not denying that some manufacturers do). It's not exactly a complicated bit of kit, after all.

James

Perhaps some are more tolerant of operator error?

 

[user 20297]

I find it hard to understand how it's possible to get a smoker wrong (though I'm not denying that some manufacturers do). It's not exactly a complicated bit of kit, after all.

James

I endured a few months of beekeeping before I discovered that the flat, base disc as delivered in my cheap smoker needed the three legs bending out to form a trivet to provide a ventilation space below the fuel. Since then, once well alight, the thing will burn, without using the bellows, until the fuel has run out. Before that, it rarely kept smoking for longer than a couple of quick inspections.

 

[E&MBees]

You need to get used to this feeling. It’s for the duration of your beekeeping life unless you have an alternative delivery address.
Work?

Surely honestly is better than hiding stuff?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Surely honestly is better than hiding stuff?

yeah, right

 

[Erichalfbee]

Surely honestly is better than hiding stuff?

Good try, I presume both of you read the forum posts.

 

[ericbeaumont]

how it's possible possible to get a smoker wrong

I agree, but they do: either the bellows output doesn't match the needs of the drum, or the drum is too small to get a good fire going, or they're not built robustly (copper dents easily), or they don't have a guard (or an impractical one) or those useful pronged feet that allow it to park on a poly box without melting the box, or the hinge that's a hook that doesn't do its job.