Bees

Hey guys, I have been reading up on bee keeping and I think I would like to give it a try next spring. Where do you guys get your supplies? Best reading material? Active forums online for bee keeping ? Must have accessories to get started? Any advice for someone who has never been around this at all? Thanks.

I'd get equipment from Zook up in Tennessee.
Beesource.com is good for info
Buy Nucs. Don't buy packages. I bought two Nucs in Lacy's Spring and they produced two supers of honey each from early May until now.
Lot's of great reading material out there. Plenty of good info on Youtube as well but you have to be a little discerning on that part.
Bee suit, hive tool and a smoker to get started. It's like fishing or hunting, you can do it minimal or bling it out.
Best advice is get with your local beekeepers. They usually hold a meeting about once a month. There's one in Gadsden and Anniston that I know of and I'm sure others across the State.

Mann Lake for bulk purchases. Foxhound bee supply in Birmingham for smaller orders and Acorn foundation. Zook in Lawrenceburg TN is good for wooden ware as Dustin mentioned. Acorn is the best foundation out there. Foxhound sells it. You may get other opinions but they'll be wrong if they don't agree with me.

Get a ventilated jacket to start with.

You don't need screened bottom boards. I advise against them.

Beesource.com is a good place to read.

Stay away from "going foundationless" and treatment free beekeeping.

Order your bees late this fall or early next spring for earliest delivery possible in the spring

Look at greenbeehives.com in Trussville or Mann Lake for equipment. That is where I got my original boxes and supplemental purchases afterward. Now I build my own stuff using the Langstroth hive pdf that you can download from the internet. Brad put me on the Acorn foundation from Foxhound and I second his opinion. I buy the unassembled frames and foundation in Hoover. Just started reading Beesource a few weeks ago after Brad posted a link and I literally read something on there every night now.

FurFlyin has helped me tremendously since I started beekeeping by just reassuring me or making suggestions when I need it.

Find the Keith Delaplane UGA video series on youtube for starting out. A lot of Fat Bee Man stuff will pop up too on youtube but you have to filter thru those and decide what is really useful info.

Try and start with 2 hives. You will learn a lot quicker. I started with 1 and they were perfect. Made a split to get to 2 and the second hive was totally different from the first. Went from 2 this spring and I have 9 now and I am really learning on the fly now. Don't worry, you can get intimidated quickly by not knowing the terminology but you will catch on pretty quick once you can see what is going on in the hive. I will warn you that it gets a little addictive. I went out Sunday afternoon and just took a quick peak in 2 hives just because I had not been in a hive in about a week. To my pleasant surprise, my split had a big fat queen on the first frame I pulled out.

Fur,

Just curious, What's the issue with screened bottoms?

They eliminate the ability of the bees to "power" ventilate their hives. Bees carry in water and fan their wings, to use evaporative cooling to cool the hives. Screened bottom boards leave such a large opening they aren't able to pull a draft through the hives like they can with a standard opening.

There has also been countless posts online where new beekeepers had their packages abscond from hives with open screened bottom boards.

I've read that they can help with Small Hive Beetles but in my experience placing hives in full sun is all that I've needed to keep SHB's pretty much non existent in my hives.

IMO, they're a solution looking for a problem.

Thanks, guys for all of your tips. I had mentioned to my wife a while back that I thought bee keeping might be something I'd like to try, and for Father's Day she surprised me with a brood box and a super plus frames and foundations and a Backyard Beekeeping book that she bought at Werners in Cullman. I've been trying to read everything I can and I hope to give it a go next spring. Looking forward to continuing to read you guys posts about this fascinating endeavor.
Oh by the way, I read online today that the Limestone Co. Beekeepers are hosting a symposium in August at Calhoun CC in Decatur that sounds like a good opportunity for newbies and experienced bee keepers alike to learn. I am planning to try and make it there.
Thanks.

Did your wife get you frames with wax foundation in them?

I have no interest in doing this, but I truly enjoy reading about your experiences and advice!! So, thanks for sharing.

War,

If you could find some bees for your equipment you could probably get them thru the winter if you got started soon. You would have to feed a lot (sugar and water solution) to get them thru to next spring but you would at least be learning as you go. There is nothing wrong with just starting with the one hive if that is the equipmnent you have on hand. You would have to check with your local guys up there or you could buy a nuc (a small started hive) and put them in your hive boxes.

Only problem with starting now is them not having a pollen source to grow the hive. I will be providing dry pollen sub soon but it's not as good as the real thing.

Where you located?

Yes, the frames have the wax foundations or maybe I should say they are wax sheets that fit into the frame after I assemble it. I have assembled and painted the boxes and started on assembling the frames, but have not done but about 5 or 6 of them, I have not been in a hurry since I was figuring I could not start until the spring. From what I am learning I think that would be the best time, giving me some time to learn and gather some other equipment between now and then. Where is a good source to buy bees in N. Alabama? From what I'm thinking I will probably try to start off with a nuc setup. Thanks.

Once I get cleared by the state, I'll have nucs for sale next spring, barring some unseen circumstances.

Reason I asked about the wax foundation... If you can remove it from the frames, take it out. Put it inside your house, lay it flat and keep it cool. It will sag in the frames between now and next spring. Sagging foundation causes the comb to be drawn bowed and it will give you problems from now on.

If you can take it out, I'd sure do so. If not, I'd put some support wires or fishing line through the frames to hold it straight. That won't be easy to do with the foundation already in the frames.

What about if I just lay the frames that already have the foundations in them on their side stacked in my closet as opposed to hanging in the hive box?

You'll have to pack something between the frames, to take up the void where the foundation is to keep it from sagging. You could probably crumple up some newspaper and stuff it between the foundation sheets in the frames, laying on their side. Does that make sense? You need something to physically hold the wax to keep it from bowing.

Gotcha. Thanks, Fur.

Nucs are the way to go for sure. I have bought from Kelly Bees and Brushy Mountain.
If you can come to the meeting in Clanton Al. this fall. They will have a lot of vendors there.

Shed, you've bought nucs from Kelly and Brushy Mountain?