Bee Keeping

[r4eboxer]

Thanks for the tips Lesa about dripping honey! I have attended a few more classes, just as I have made my mind up to not start with bees this year and purchase a little at a time I got a nice offer. Some very nice man that I sit beside in class offered me one of his hives to borrow until I can get the wood items I need. He said he would have to pull it out of this garage to make sure it was still in good enough shape. He said he could get me started with all the wood items I needed. All I need now is a suit, a smoker and a few other small tools. The hive was the most expensive. I am going to check ebay, craigslist and my bulletin board to see if I can find some used items cheap. Now if I could just catch a swarm tehe. Seriously though I think I will have the pres of our club put an order in for bees for me now that the biggest expense is not so big. What a nice man he is, he even offered to come and trim my Apple trees as I have not been successful pruning them myself.

Oh the club also has all the extracting equipment for free to use. All we need to do is put a 5.00 deposit on the equipment and upon return we get that back. Also they have an educational bee hive field where we can go every Saturday to work the bees and learn how to do all sorts of things like splits etc. I am so glad I decided to take this course. My garden needs the pollination and it sounds like it's going to get it. :rose

 

[lesa]

Perfect!! It sounds like you have a great bee club. That will make a huge difference for you! Keep us posted...

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Our club gets bees for $78 for a three pound package. They are raised in Georgia and are really good bees with queen.

 

[r4eboxer]

Our club gets bees for $78 for a three pound package. They are raised in Georgia and are really good bees with queen.

It sounds like our clubs get bees from the same place. They quoted $78.00 for a package from Georgia and then our state president sells them for I think 85.00. Maybe instead of getting them from here I should have them order the ones from Georgia. A guy from the club drives down and picks them up for everyone.

I have class tonight, I am going to ask about them and when I need to purchase and pay.

 

[mothergoose]

I am also a new beekeeper for this year. We have purchased 2 hives and have bees coming in April. We have some local bee keepers mentoring us and I have a bee keepers workshop coming up on the 17th. I am looking forward to that. We are huge gardeners and really looking forward to the benifits of having bees, not to mention the potential honey, beeswax, etc.....endless project possibilities. Can't wait.

Christie :bee

 

[lesa]

Oh, mothergoose, you are going to love having bees! They make such a difference in the garden! Keep us posted on your progress....