equipment what to buy

[Brooklyn]

This will be the first year for us Beekeeping. What should we get?

I am looking at

2) Complete brood chambers with frames and wax Foundations.
2) Medium supers with frames and wax Foundations.
1) Hive Stand
1)) Wooden telescoping outer cover
1) Smoker
1) 10 inch hive tool
1) pair leather goatskin Bee gloves
5 sets of 9 frame spacers
1) top feeder with supper
1) screened bottom bottom board with small hive beetle trap
1) Bee brush
1) Wood Bound Metal Queen Excluder
1) metal Mouse guard

1) Frame grip ??
1) Ultra Breeze Jacket
I live in Sc where the summers are hot and the winters are mild

Is this enough equipment for a first time beekeeper, or is it to much? What would you suggest.
Any suggestions on were to buy quality equipment

 

[ian]

Hi Brooklyn

First off, one lesson to learn is you can never have enough equipment Also try to find a local club, many will have members happy to sell bees and equipment or they may be able to recommend package suppliers.

Most would also have another floor/brood/roof for swarms or splits, you really want to have a couple of hives on the go if you can.

The ultra breeze Jacket/suit has had good reviews.

Try below for your equipment

http://www.mannlakeltd.net/


You may also want to try.

http://www.beesource.com/



Regards Ian

 

[Somerford]

certainly don't skimp on protective equipment as this will give you the confidence you need.
You'll need some honey buckets to store your crop in eventually, but i'd settle for borrowing an extractor from a fellow beekeeper / association until you are happy with the hobby !

regards

S

 

[jimbeekeeper]

1) pair leather goatskin Bee gloves

Use cheap and thin marigold gloves or similar.

On the back of Somerfords comment about a suit giving you the confidence, you might think thick leather gloves will, but all you do is loose the ability to "feel" what you are doing and end up banging and bashing bees and frames which makes them angry and therefore sting you.

If you can feel you are more likely to be gentle and the bees will act in the same way.

Also the leather gloves very quickly become a sticky mess and also hold onto pheromone of the sting, which again aggravates them.

 

[alanjune03]

Just noticed your in USA, so i think you can forget my last post unless your moving over here.

 

[Poly Hive]

A great deal of the forum will not be of much use to Brooklyn due to location.

There must be American forums which would be more applicable?

http://www.beesource.com/ for example.

Oh and I use "thick leather gloves" and get on fine thanks.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Poly Hive,

I thought that this gave a big clue, even if the locator was wrong: screened bottom bottom board with small hive beetle trap

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Didn't read the list just know the nick and location.

PH

 

[hedgerow pete]

hi brooklyn, vet incompassing list you have there so lets try a fewe questions, are you any good at or want to start taking up wood working, so the hive might be beyond you know i can show you how to make a stand over the internet which will save some pennies as for the other as the lads say here join a club or if they are to far away advertise for a mentor, one of my oldest and best mentors was found because i drove past his house that had a honey for sale sign on the front door, i just knocked on it and started on him when he finished laughing at me i start working with hima week later and stayed comeing back for 14 years

 

[Hombre]

Welcome to the forum - Dr Who?

Memorable if it was possible:
For the less observant, reference to a last post. Current posts 1.
It's the thought that counts. That elusive delete key perhaps.

 

[BKF Admin]

Just checked the admin backend,the post deleted because it was a link to a commercial site,I have set the forum to delete first posts if they contain an advert/url.

If I turn it off we would have another 150 firsts posts with a link for everything from beekeeping ebooks to p*rn.

 

[Hombre]

Thanks for that Mark. I thought that he might have either thought better of his post and deleted it without submitting and then forgotten. or he might have a BS National TARDIS.

 

[BKF Admin]

Now thats a good name for a new hive "THE TARDIS" I like it..

 

[Hombre]

Yes, it would get over all those big frame size problems. HP could probably make use of it although a police box appearing in his neck of the woods might cause a bit of a riot.
Just imagine the amount of wax you could get in one of those.

It wouldn't catch on though, Navy Blue isn't a bee favoured colour as I understand it. Ah well, back to the BeeHause

Chilly here for the last three days and the girls have decided it's time for clustering at last.

 

[jezd]

I have snow on my green BeeHaus!

 

[BKF Admin]

I have snow on my green BeeHaus!

A picture before it melts if possible?

 

[Frisbee]

Snow.............did somebody mention snow............

Frisbee

 

[Brooklyn]

Thanks

Thanks for all the information. I know that i am on the other side of the pond as you say. But I truly like the hear how everyone takes care of bees and what equipment you all use.

Knowledge is the key to success . Well unless you know someone.