Looking for input on a product I've seen recently, I'm also a 100% novice with 0 experience.

[Twist]

I'll apologise in advance but I ramble a little when asking questions and I also apologise if sharing a product links is not allowed, I promise it's not me advertising, just seeking advice regarding it and I'm happy to remove the link if asked.

Preamble:
I've recently been considering beekeeping but the closest I've come to doing so in my life so far is planting bee friendly flowers in my garden. I've looked into handful of things regarding the process of beekeeping and have knowledge regarding the pests and plights bees can face. I do intend on spending my free time over the next month researching all that beekeeping entails before I actually try my hand at it but before that I'll need some advice.

Question:
I found this product ~ www.amazon.co.uk/Mayyou-Bee-Hive-Beehive-House/dp/B07WDBDDZS
and was wondering if anyone can give me some input. As a (not yet but possibly soon) first time beekeeper I'm looking for someone or manyones to look the product and tell me from an experienced point of view if it's worth my money.

I have no experience in keeping bees, so I haven't yet made a mistake to learn from and thus I can only hope to learn from mistakes you may have made, before I go and start making some of my own.
I'm pretty rough on cash at the moment (aren't we all) and can't really afford too far from that price range unfortunately, though I do have moderate joinery/carpentry skills and the knowledge not to use pallet wood as it can contain harmful toxins. I could potentially build my own but that's a whole other discussion, sorry I do ramble often.

Basically is it any good or any bad and why?

Sorry again for the rambly nature of my post and I look forward to you input.

 

[Boston Bees]

The only thing you need to know is that it is far far too small to keep a colony of honeybees in. They will either abscond, or swarm themselves to death.

It looks like an adaptation of a hive used to get queen bees mated, but not meant to keep a colony in for more than a few weeks.

Ignore it, and don't try to find your first hive on Amazon

Read this instead

Buying Hives in the UK | Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum (beekeepingforum.co.uk)

EDIT: Sorry to be brutal, but if you only have £33 to spend on getting into beekeeping, find another hobby - buy a solitary bee house instead:

Beneficial Insect Habitat - Ark Wildlife UK

 

[Boston Bees]

Posted in error

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's not a beehive, it's a mini mating nuc for queen breeding, definitely not what you need/want at this stage in your beekeeping journey

 

[Twist]

The only thing you need to know is that it is far far too small to keep a colony of honeybees in. They will either abscond, or swarm themselves to death.

It looks like an adaptation of a hive used to get queen bees mated, but not meant to keep a colony in for more than a few weeks.

Ignore it, and don't try to find your first hive on Amazon

Read this instead

Buying Hives in the UK | Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum (beekeepingforum.co.uk)

Thanks for the input and knowledge, I'll check out the link you posted when I get a chance this evening.

 

[Boston Bees]

Thanks for the input and knowledge, I'll check out the link you posted when I get a chance this evening.

No problem, but also note that I added a bit to my post re the expense of beekeeping

 

[Erichalfbee]

Welcome to the forum.
Whereabouts are you Twist? It would be useful if you could put your location in your profile.
Spend your money on joining your local beekeeping association and get into their bees first.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm pretty rough on cash at the moment (aren't we all) and can't really afford too far from that price range unfortunately, though I do have moderate joinery/carpentry skills and the knowledge not to use pallet wood as it can contain harmful toxins. I could potentially build my own but that's a whole other discussion, sorry I do ramble often.

Personally I think you are a way away from needing a hive yet, if you have the basic skills, look at Maisemore apiaries website today, they have a weekend mail order sale on of flat packed cedar hive components (they have sales fairly regularly) You need a minimum of a floor, brood box, two or three shallows (supers) a queen excluder, crown board and roof, also things like feeders, suit and a smoker etc.. This will just give you an idea of the initial costs involved. but you need to get quite a bit of beekeeping knowledge under your belt before taking the plunge and getting bees I think

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'll apologise in advance but I ramble a little

halfway to being a beekeeper already

 

[Twist]

No problem, but also note that I added a bit to my post re the expense of beekeeping

Completely understandable point made regarding the costs in your edit, and it's not brutal, it's valuable and honest criticism, from which I can learn. The welfare of the bees is my priority and if beekeeping is out of my budget I wouldn't go ahead with it at a cost of the bees.

I potentially have the skills to build something if you think that might be a path worth exploring on a budget?
If so I can look into the costs of bee friendly wood and find some plan/blueprints. My current budget is up to £60 but having no experience I just went to amazon typed apiary and thought I'd ask here about something as cheap as that. Thanks again for the input, I may (if self building isn't a good option) wait a year and save some cash to get a better budget together.

 

[enrico]

Completely understandable point made regarding the costs in your edit, and it's not brutal, it's valuable and honest criticism, from which I can learn. The welfare of the bees is my priority and if beekeeping is out of my budget I wouldn't go ahead with it at a cost of the bees.

I potentially have the skills to build something if you think that might be a path worth exploring on a budget?
If so I can look into the costs of bee friendly wood and find some plan/blueprints. My current budget is up to £60 but having no experience I just went to amazon typed apiary and thought I'd ask here about something as cheap as that. Thanks again for the input, I may (if self building isn't a good option) wait a year and save some cash to get a better budget together.

If you were to tell us the area you live in someone may offer you a hands on visit their apiary. It can be quite an experience working with many thousands of bees in a hive! It isn't for some people and now is the time to find out before you spend any money at all

 

[Twist]

Personally I think you are a way away from needing a hive yet, if you have the basic skills, look at Maisemore apiaries website today, they have a weekend mail order sale on of flat packed cedar hive components (they have sales fairly regularly) You need a minimum of a floor, brood box, two or three shallows (supers) a queen excluder, crown board and roof, also things like feeders, suit and a smoker etc.. This will just give you an idea of the initial costs involved. but you need to get quite a bit of beekeeping knowledge under your belt before taking the plunge and getting bees I think

Thank you, do you have any good sources I can use to further my knowledge and at which point will I know I'm ready?

 

[Boston Bees]

I potentially have the skills to build something if you think that might be a path worth exploring on a budget?
If so I can look into the costs of bee friendly wood and find some plan/blueprints. My current budget is up to £60 but having no experience I just went to amazon typed apiary and thought I'd ask here about something as cheap as that. Thanks again for the input, I may (if self building isn't a good option) wait a year and save some cash to get a better budget together.

I think you will be horrified by how much it would cost to make a beehive, with the current cost of decent wood. This thread is worth a read:

Home made hives. | Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum (beekeepingforum.co.uk)

 

[enrico]

Thank you, do you have any good sources I can use to further my knowledge and at which point will I know I'm ready?

Bees at the bottom of the garden ..... It is an easy read and gives some good pointers..... alternatively click on the blogs section of this forum, click on my avatar and read my blog which was written a couple of years ago to help out beginners.

 

[Twist]

If you were to tell us the area you live in someone may offer you a hands on visit their apiary. It can be quite an experience working with many thousands of bees in a hive! It isn't for some people and now is the time to find out before you spend any money at all

I'm on the east coast of Scotland and I would agree, getting actual experience of the process would help in letting me see if it's for me or not. I have thought about beekeeping for a few years now but it's mainly been fleeting 'I'd like to keep bees' thoughts, not too far a depth, until now when I decided to start being active in my quest. I have much to learn, in many areas and for some of those things hands on is the only real way to get anywhere.

 

[drex]

I do not want to put you off this wonderful craft ( or hobby), but the facts of beekeeping are far removed from the fantasy.
I suggest you first get into a real beehive with bees. You can do this by joining your local beekeeping association or finding someone local who keeps bees and asking to come along when they look at their bees.
I am afraid your budget would be strained just to buy a cheap beekeeping jacket. ( the first thing you will need) .
Even DIY it is not a cheap hobby.

 

[user 819]

For your first hive one will need to budget £300 - £500, it is not just bees and a hive, other expenditure can come along at an alarming rate as a beginner.
One hive will likely become two in no time.
In the budget one needs a bees suit or veil/jacket, smoker gloves, tools later in the year costs inc products for treatment and sugar to feed bees( this can be anytime of the year).
The best advice is a taster session and get involved locally with a BKA.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here's a link to a selection of 'rock bottom' beekeeping starter kits
https://www.bees-online.co.uk/products/category/Packaged_Rock Bottom Bee Hives

 

[B_north]

I potentially have the skills to build something if you think that might be a path worth exploring on a budget?

If you want to try it go right ahead. I built my first two hives from reclaimed wood, only cost me the glue and screws it is just a box after all. If you have the building skills why not?????

If you are so inclined you can make a hive with one of those disc entries and eliminate the bottom entry board. I use a zip loc baggie on the top of the frames for a great syrup feeder, or a jar with holes poked in the lid. I belong to a forum that has a section called "Dirt cheap beekeeping" it is amazing how innovative some people are.

You can use pallets, reclaimed lumber or whatever you wish. I bought a few lengths of new 2x4 and built the frames. The frames do not need all the extra work and fiddling, just make a rectangle of wood, attach a top bar and buy those plastic spacers that slip on the ends. I went foundationless, yes, many will tell you to use foundation because then you can put them in an extractor and it is less work for the bees but I do not have an extractor and not sure I want one yet because I am not in it to maximize honey production and sales, it works for me.

Then there is swarm trapping to get your bees. So although it might not be the "best" equipment, it only has to satisfy you and the bees.

I read and learned for a full year before I got bees as I do not have access to a local club or a beekeeping mentor. At some point, when you feel ready, you just need to try it out for yourself.

 

[Wilco]

I agree with most of the points above.

However, not that it *has* to be really expensive. There are some other options and it is possible to start out on a lower budget. This is not ideal but is doable.

However, bees are living creatures and if you want to keep them you need to take responsibility for their health and welfare. If you are already worried about cost, I'd spend the money on joining a local BKA and a decent suit and doing things through them until you're in a better place financially.

Suit- I usually use a proper suit but often will just use a couple of layers the bees won't get stuck in and a headnet veil thing. These are about £6 from Simon the Beekeeper, IIRC. The very first swarm I caught involved an improvised suit of waterproofs, wellies, winter gloves, duct tape, a wide brimmed hat and a mosquito net. Not a long term solution but doable. I rate the Simon the Beekeeper professional suit highly at about £50.

Gloves- supermarket marigolds work better than thick gloves.

Bees- swarm. Make friends with local pest control companies.

Hive- a top bar hive is probably the simplest and cheapest to build, go foundationless. This does not mean it is easy to manage (more standard moveable frame hives were invented for a reason). Pallets are ok IMO but make sure it is well insulated and the wood is thick enough.

Extraction- theoretically you can just do cut comb or put the comb into a pair of tights and crush it. Obviously for own consumption not sale in this case. And use a hitherto unused pair of tights!

Smoker- often in summer I just use a spray bottle of water. I usually keep a smoker lit as well just in case. You tend to get what you pay for.

If putting in orders, I try to do a large enough one that I get free delivery so mixing and matching small orders between suppliers is to be avoided. Good to wait for a sale and buy kit based on a list of what you want.

Whichever way you do it, do a lot of research first, find a decent keeper locally who is willing to mentor you and will show you the ropes with inspecting theirs.

Also be warned- beekeeping tends to bring one out in hives.