Starting a bee Hive

[Scunnybee]

Hi all, I am new to bee keeping and have yet to buy all the equipment required to start but, I've read numerous books and looked on web sites and gathered lots of information. My question is on some sites they are selling bees either in nuc's with bees and frames for various prices or just the queen with some workers. Can i just buy the queen with a few workers to start a hive; I know this would take longer to develop the colony if it was possible? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Scunnybee.

 

[daj198]

How many workers are we talking about? You can buy package bees (3 1/2 lbs of workers with a queen) or a nuc. I went for a nuc as a beginner as you don't get landed with LOADS of bees and a queen that might not be accepted by the workers. Suppliers sell queens with a few workers (around £30) if people want to replace their old/bad tempered queens.

I hope that helps

 

[Scunnybee]

Thanks for the response, It does not really say only that theres a few attentand workers with the queen at a cost of £25 plus P & P.

Scuunybee.

 

[drstitson]

new queens come with few attendants (for upto say £30 odd). These are for requeening NOT starting from scratch.

you need to buy at least a nuc (or a package).

what books have you been reading as Hooper etc cover these issues.

 

[mexbigshow]

Hi scunnybee, i don't even bother buying any bees i try my luck at baiting my hive with swarm lure or lemon grass oil, i don't know if its just me or if others get a real thrill out of trying to catch bees in this way, it worked last year in my top bar hive fingers are crossed for this year.
good luck

 

[drex]

Think about joining your local association. You might be lucky and get a place on a practical course, which will be starting about now.

I am so glad that I did this last year, as it made my first year so much easier.

I then got on going support, and was given a starter colony. If not so lucky you might be able to get a colony much cheaper than the prices you pay commercially.

Still getting the on going support. I seem to be making so many more mistakes this year, but then I am doing more stuff with the bees - who unfortunately do not read the books, and do what they want to do, not what the books say they should do!

Cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

[BKF Admin]

The reason the queen ships with a few workers is because a mated queen will not feed herself and needs the few workers to look after her until she is put into a colony of bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

Scunnybee..... watch all the U~Tube vids...............then watch them all again!

Then get yourself properly kitted out and spends some money on a colony from an accredited supplier

If you are shocked at the incredible prices being asked.... buy a hamster!

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi scunnybee, i don't even bother buying any bees i try my luck at baiting my hive with swarm lure or lemon grass oil, i don't know if its just me or if others get a real thrill out of trying to catch bees in this way, it worked last year in my top bar hive fingers are crossed for this year.
good luck

Be WARNED you could end up with a grist of nasty little mongrels that produce little honey and swarm at the first opportunity

 

[mexbigshow]

Be WARNED you could end up with a grist of nasty little mongrels that produce little honey and swarm at the first opportunity

I ended up with a nice swarm i used to work them without protection and they were very quick to produce honey and they didn't swarm or make queen cells, so i was very lucky

 

[Scunnybee]

Thanks for all the advice, but i think i'll give the hamster a miss.

Scunnybee.

 

[mexbigshow]

Thanks for all the advice, but i think i'll give the hamster a miss.

Scunnybee.

thats the spirit don't be put off

 

[For want of a better word]

thats the spirit don't be put off

rabbit?

 

[mexbigshow]

duck

 

[TREVOR HILL]

you only live 30 mins drive from thorns go look at all you need to start add on cost of good collony of bees if this dosent put you off go for it .
ps just up the road from you

 

[For want of a better word]

duck

or grouse?

 

[daj198]

you only live 30 mins drive from thorns go look at all you need to start add on cost of good collony of bees if this dosent put you off go for it .
ps just up the road from you

You'll need a mortgage to get a nuc from Th**nes though...

Sea Monkeys?

 

[ladyrose1956]

I have got two nationals wont buy bees at the price they are asing i have baited my two hives so just have to wait for a swarm it is exciting watching the scouts check the hives out it is just a waiting game for now

 

[mexbigshow]

I have got two nationals wont buy bees at the price they are asing i have baited my two hives so just have to wait for a swarm it is exciting watching the scouts check the hives out it is just a waiting game for now

I do the same it makes it a lot more exciting because everytime you check the hive you never know what going to be there, last year my bees turned up out of the blue and they were really friendly bees

 

[Rosti]

I don't buy this "get a swarm, get a problem" rationale. I also don't buy bees. All of my stock (including 2 extra's so far this year) have come from swarms/baits.True you may well get some sort of aggressive colony and that is one attribute that is undesirable (so re-queen like anyone else when queens from desirable stock in your apiary are available now onwards), but equally you may get hold of some genes that have been surviving without intervention, being productive, wintering efficiently and 'cleaning' varroa successfully etc for many years. Whether you can accomodate the temperament of your bees depends on keeping location and your own approach of course. Now whether they are from the wild or from another beek depends on your location, my location means I reckon mine are probably 70% likely from the wild (and I have never had a marked queen in the 7 baits/swarms I have housed).

Most of us (me included) are not decended from Langstroth, Hooper or Brother Adam, our ability to breed queens (as opposed to simply rearing them) is limited.

Your purchased nuc is often made up from local bees (with what temperament?) and a purchased queen from somewhere on planet Earth, the fact that it is purchased does not gaurantee temperament and certainly does not come second generation. I can think of about 200 reasons not to buy a Nuc (they all have the Queens head on one side). If you have the gear sat empty and can get hold of some used comb and a bit of lemon grass why not have a crack? It's a shot to nothing surely?