Newbee shopping list

[user 20297]

So do I need two hives initially or will one and a nuc do?

What I did was to pre-order a nuc of bees for as early as possible in the year, then mid-summer, when I had a smidgen of knowledge and experience, I found it relatively easy to get a nuc of bees locally at a reasonable price.

 

[E&MBees]

Something that I have found really useful is a laminated piece of paper and a non-permanent OHP pen. Great for scribbling notes on which I then transfer to a permanent record at home.

I have also got a pair of arm protectors/ gauntlets. Stops the bees burrowing under the edge of your gloves and stinging your wrists.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Queen clip might be handy also if you need to do a split.

Ideal way to bisect a queen especially with shaky hands. If you need to move the queen then take the frame she is on.
Practice picking up drones then you will be confident picking her up

 

[Nick Lang]

I was in this exact position this time last year....I even asked the exact same question funnily enough.

Honestly I'm not really experienced enough to give advice on the more nuanced aspects of keeping bees....but as a complete novice coming to the end of my first season....I bought a single nuc of bees....if I could have afforded it I would have bought two for definite.

I bought 2nd quality cedar national hive parts from Maisemore in their sale...it was in November last year....and was WAY cheaper than buying 1st or new.....I found they were excellent quality....I also bought them flat packed and made them up myself.....firstly it was cheaper...secondly it gave me a good feel for how the hive is made and gave me a lot of knowledge about the way a hive is made and works.
I personally bought 2 brood box, three supers, a roof, a floor with removable inspection board....I also bought a stand with an alighting board (didn't need that but it's nice to watch the bees coming in like RAF bombers from a holding pattern...I know it's not needed and if I had a dozen hives I probably wouldn't have).

I also bought a pack of fifty 2nd quality brood frames and super frames (flat packed)...again....I enjoyed making them up....oh and wired foundation...make sure you buy the correct size for the brood boxes you use.

I bought a poly nuc....again in the sale....but you are getting a nuc of bees...so you probably won't need to buy one as will already have a spare nuc there...
I also bought all the clothing...hive tool...smoker etc... that's a given really...you need those ...my suit I bought from "Simon the beekeeper"...it was £50 and came with two hood/vales.... haven't been stung through it yet.

So...if funds had allowed I would love to have bought two nucs...and enough hive parts for two complete set ups....deffo three supers...and extra foundation and frames for each as others have said...and a feeder for each hive (you can use the unused supers to accommodate the feeder).

One thing I would say is....I found everything was going fine....until it wasn't....then it was panic time...you will learn more when things go wrong....trust!

Anyway... that's my 2pence for what it's worth.

 

[pargyle]

Ideal way to bisect a queen especially with shaky hands. If you need to move the queen then take the frame she is on.

Even without shakey hands they are queen killers .... I only used mine once and as I cautiously let the clip close the queen made a quick run for freedom and - squish ... too late - dead queen !

Top of my list for the most useless thing I've ever bought for my beekeeping .... pick them up by the wings and pop her in a matchbox - much safer.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Could I just buy one hive and an extra brood box? This as you say could go double brood or allow a demaree as swarm control?

For the start of the season for each colony I try and aim to have a spare brood box for each colony and supers.
A nuc can soon grow if there is loads of forage around and you have a fecund queen.
Having just one or two nucs I would want to do the same.
You could just buy another brood box but if you can afford it I would get two complete hives and have a empty nuc to.
You will have ample brood frames for the nuc if needs be.
When I started I was scratching about for equipment using some old tatty boxes, still have some of them in use now.
At the end of the day it's all down to how much want to spend.
Make sure you buy seconds if you go for cedar hives and second frames they are a bit cheaper and not alot of difference.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bee brush or some people use goose feathers. Queen clip might be handy also if you need to do a split.

Thanks that’s a good addition

I wouldn't bother with either, a bee brush is a waste of space and money, if you need to move the bees, use a leafy twig or a bunch of grass, or, as some have said, a wing feather (or even a whole goose wing) and a queen clipn is designed to kill queens.

Ideal way to bisect a queen especially with shaky hands. If you need to move the queen then take the frame she is on.
Practice picking up drones then you will be confident picking her up

 

[pargyle]

The best advice is to start off with the minimum you really need, not everyone takes to beekeeping and what looks like an attractive hobby from the outside will either consume you and you will find you cannot live without it - or it will become the bane of your life and eventually you will give up. I've seen the most enthusiastic new beekeepers leave the craft after a year or two of frustration and the most reticent, thrust into beekeeping by accident, find a hobby that suits them. There's a lot of pre-bees euphoria found in the books and videos which are mostly written/produced by people who have come to love their beekeeping - so a note of caution. Spend the least you have to and see how you get on.

One hive ... yes, two is ideal but you would be unlucky to need two in the first season unless you are intent on expanding..
A Nuc box (not the correx on the bees come in - a proper Polystyrene Nuc)
A couple of supers
A pack of 10 frames for the brood box (two packs if you can afford it) and two packs of frames for the supers
Foundation if you wish - (I'm foundationless so I'd consider doing without it)
Bees Suit,
Marigolds
Hive tool
Smoker
The Haynes Manual of Beekeeping

Your bees, if you buy a Nuc, willl come on frames so you have 5 or 6 to start with - a pack of ten frames will get them into a brood box with a dummy board and you will still have enough to fill your Nuc.

It's an expensive hobby in the early days ... the above list may be minimalist but, if you decide it's for you, then you can (with some experience and knowledge behind you) expand quickly - and spend more. But - it will get you started ... If circumstances change or you find it's too much of a commitment you have only spent a couple of hundred quid ... I know people who have spent thousands and two seasons in were getting rid of their kit at a substantial loss.

There are lots of things you may need - a means of treating Varroa, kit to extract your honey crop, kit to process beeswax, food for your bees for winter, the list is endless .... some things you can make yourself . hive stands for instance . and save a lot on the ones you can buy - depends upon your DIY ability and the demands of your budget. In time you will come to find your own comfort level in what you can make or make do with and what else you need to buy but - it only comes with time and experience.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I would say three supers as a minimum

 

[pargyle]

I would say three supers as a minimum

Ideally - yes ... two for the honey one as a spare - with a first year Nuc, good weather and good forage three is possible. But ... with two you can always take a frame or two of capped honey out and crush and strain and give them empty frames back. It's a minimalist start so - keeping the costs low - and two supers will get them through with one production hive ....

 

[fizzle]

Ideal way to bisect a queen especially with shaky hands. If you need to move the queen then take the frame she is on.
Practice picking up drones then you will be confident picking her up

Agree. only use when absolutely necessary.

It's worked for me so far. I use the clear plastic clip so I can see where she is while gently closing. Not saying it doesn't come with risk and I am quite conscious when using it.

Picking up by hand would require nice calm bees.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Additional brood box for each and extra supers.

That's more like it.

Forget the idea that one brood and two supers (standard supplier combo) will be enough, because when your queen fills the brood box quickly and a major flow starts, you're stuffed. I'd stock an extra brood per colony and as JBM said, three supers.

In the height of the season the last thing that you want to do is go online to order extras and find they're out of stock, or will be with you in a week. No matter the upfront expense, you can recoup some of it by selling honey at a good price at the end of the season.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ideally - yes ... two for the honey one as a spare - with a first year Nuc, good weather and good forage three is possible. But ...

You still need three if you want them to ripen the honey efficiently. I have two hives here, full colonies from nucs made up with June mated queens - one has given me three supers of honey, the other four, and both had a shallow of unripe honey nadired at the end of the season. the flow came in at such a rate that I had three shallows on each and none of it was ripe.

 

[Bluebell1985]

That's more like it.

My school of thought has always been that it's better to be over prepared and have things i may not need, rather than needs things that I don't have, when I desperately need them.

Also helps that my better half isn't watching my spending.

 

[Martimart]

I would second the above but dont forget the extra frames.

I would also recommend some sort of hive record book so you can record what you see and the action if any you take. (do as I say not as I do... Im afraid)
I have no records of what when or why so I hope santa will come up with something so I can keep proper records next year a

Do you really need extra frames, my Nuc box that if I remember right was 6 frames, take 6 new frames out of the hive to drop the frames out of the Nuc with Bee's on, and put the empty new frames from the hive into the Nuc box. I can't see why he needs to buy additional frames, one counters the other.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do you really need extra frames,

you will always need extra frames, the coming with the nuc will probably be old and manky and will soon need replacement, lugs break and good beekeeping practice calls for replacing the older frames regularly. And if you wait for the sales a pack of 50 'second quality' frames will save you a fortune against the expense of buying dribs and drabs of small quantities..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Talking of frames. Years ago I bought a large tub of frame nails at one of the conventions. I thought I’d never get through those….
I’ve bought a few more since

 

[Nick Lang]

Definitely wait for the sales....and buy 2nd quality....and don't buy ready made sections....they are really easy to put together....you don't need to be a carpenter...I promise

 

[drdrday]

On the subject of how many colonies, I know everyone recommends getting two to start off with, and before everyone shoots me down, I completely understand the reasons behind that advice. You get to compare with another colony so that you can more quickly identify a problem with a colony; you have a second hive that you can use resources from to help you out of lots of tricky situations; and of course you've got double the chance of getting bees through winter.

However, I think there are also arguments for starting with just one colony for that first year. Most importantly, there's the expense. A nuc of bees isn't cheap, let alone two of them. As a complete beginner, if you decide beekeeping isn't for you after all, then at least you've only spent out on one nucleus of bees.
You're highly likely to have to do an artificial swarm, if not in your first season, then almost certainly in your second, so you'll have that all important second colony very quickly and without the extra expense.
When you only have one colony you'll automatically put more focus and care in preparing them to go through winter, as you're aware that all of your eggs are in one basket. As long as you're careful and do your research this shouldn't be difficult. Most beginner beekeepers are members of their local association, so if things do go horribly wrong, they should be able to help you out with a frame of eggs.

I only started with one nucleus of bees myself, and it worked really well for me. I think I would have been a bit overwhelmed dealing with more than one colony at the start, whereas the natural increase from one colony to two (and then more...) was more manageable. For each colony that you have, you always need enough additional equipment to do artificial swarms etc. Starting with just one colony meant that I quickly learnt what I did and didn't like from the basic equipment I had in that first season. When I went to the sales my first winter to get everything I'd need for the second year and beyond, I had more practical knowledge to pick out exactly what I'd found worked best for me. For instance, I much prefer clear crownboards, framed queen excluders and extra deep wooden roofs etc.

 

[W0otz]

This is my first year, but based on my research and experience this is what I'd recommend.

I found the Thorne Bees on a Budget hives (Bees on a Budget Hives) to be best value. Just the hive, not the kit with bee suit, tools etc. Cheaper even than individual seconds parts in the Maisemore sale, especially once you've factored in frames and foundation.
3 Bees on a Budget hives gives you kit for 2 colonies, each with 3 supers, and a spare floor, brood box, QE, dummy board, crown board and roof.

On the bee suit front I've bought a Simon the Beekeeper Buzz Lightweight suit for my wife and a Professional suit for myself - Buzz Professional
I'd definitely recommend spending the extra on the professional suit - the fabric quality is much better and it comes with a spare veil. At £50 it's still well priced.

Smoker, hive tool, mouseguards, feeders.


Assuming 3x 14x12 BoaB hives, 1x STBK Pro suit, 1 stainless smoker, 1 STBK hive tool, 2 mouseguards, 2 STBK Economy rapid feeders you're looking at ~£675-£700. Standard national hives would bring this down a bit.

Plus bees.

Plus extraction equipment, though this may be hire-able from your local association, or you may not get a crop, or just crush+strain.