Let's get buzzin'!
I'm not a pro, but I've successfully kept bees for 4 years using organic and hands-off methods. I do not feed my bees nor treat them with any mite-icides, etc. I've done several splits and even sold a nuc last year. I've raised almost 10 very successful queens and my hives fill fit to burst every spring with bees and every summer with honey. My oldest hive swarmed 4 times after a split the spring of 2016, and is still my strongest and largest hive. I did over a year's worth of research, read every blog and book about bees I could find, watched a ton of documentaries, joined a beekeeping association, and asked a million questions before purchasing any equipment or bees.
I also was influential in getting city zoning code changed to include a provision for keeping honeybees within the Clarksville, TN city limits (long story short: they cited me as having livestock because of my two beehives on my 1 acre property. I fought them, they realized they were wrong and zoning code was vague, so they included an amendment for beekeeping and Clarksville residents can now beekeep without being cited for having "livestock" by bulding and codes).
I also was influential in getting city zoning code changed to include a provision for keeping honeybees within the Clarksville, TN city limits (long story short: they cited me as having livestock because of my two beehives on my 1 acre property. I fought them, they realized they were wrong and zoning code was vague, so they included an amendment for beekeeping and Clarksville residents can now beekeep without being cited for having "livestock" by bulding and codes).
Beekeeping Resources
Bee-for you get bees, learn from these resources about where to begin, what to expect, and how to beekeep successfully. The best thing you can do is find a mentor. Reach out to your local beekeeping organization and ask if there is an experienced beekeeper who would be willing to help you learn. Thank you, Jason, for all the help and knowlegde you've shared with me!
Also, be sure to check your local laws pertaining to beekeeping!
Beekeeping for Dummies (THE book to read!)
http://www.amazon.com/Beekeeping-For-Dummies-Howland-Blackiston/dp/0470430656
An excellent write up of how what to look for during a hive inspection
http://beeinformed.org/2013/08/hive-assessments-and-taking-notes/
How to set up your first hive
http://runamukacres.com/2014/02/how-to-set-up-your-first-beehive/
Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/ellyhood/bees/
Blogs:
•Tilly's Nest
http://www.tillysnest.com/p/beekeeping.html
•Beverly Bees
http://www.beverlybees.com/beginner-beekeepers-guide/
•Kornerstone Farms
http://www.kornerstonefarms.blogspot.com/2013/03/preparing-for-backyard-bees.html
•LetMBee
http://letmbee.com/
•Runamuk Acres
http://runamukacres.com/recommended-resources/
Also, be sure to check your local laws pertaining to beekeeping!
Beekeeping for Dummies (THE book to read!)
http://www.amazon.com/Beekeeping-For-Dummies-Howland-Blackiston/dp/0470430656
An excellent write up of how what to look for during a hive inspection
http://beeinformed.org/2013/08/hive-assessments-and-taking-notes/
How to set up your first hive
http://runamukacres.com/2014/02/how-to-set-up-your-first-beehive/
http://www.pinterest.com/ellyhood/bees/
Blogs:
•Tilly's Nest
http://www.tillysnest.com/p/beekeeping.html
•Beverly Bees
http://www.beverlybees.com/beginner-beekeepers-guide/
•Kornerstone Farms
http://www.kornerstonefarms.blogspot.com/2013/03/preparing-for-backyard-bees.html
•LetMBee
http://letmbee.com/
•Runamuk Acres
http://runamukacres.com/recommended-resources/
Beehive Parts List - Where to buy and What to get
The equipment listed below is what I used for my hives. I LOVE my equipment! It's extremely high quality that will last for years.
I prefer equipment from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm (Walter Kelly equipment is TERRIBLE in comparison! I got some frames from a co-op in a pinch and returned them. The wait for Brushy Mountain equipment to ship was worth it). Brushy mountain offers free shipping on orders over $150!
I use all 8 frame mediums for my hives. There are 3 sizes of supers, or boxes, that are used on hives; Deeps, Mediums, and Shallows. By using all mediums, I only have to have 1 size of frame and 1 size of foundation. Makes things much easier, in my experience.
The bees seem to really like 8 frame hives and I know several long-time bee keepers who are using more and more 8 frame equipment instead of 10 frame (you CANNOT mix 8 and 10 frame equipment so make sure you're buying equipment of all 10 frame or all 8 frame size!). Bees have a tendency to like to build up instead of out and will often not want to build on the outer frames (frames 1 and 10) in a 10 frame hive. I had no problem whatsoever getting my bees to build on frames 1 and 8 in my hives; the queen even laid eggs on the comb facing the inside of the box! Usually they like to only lay in the center of the boxes.
Watch this excellent ~5 min video if you want to know more about the different size boxes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUx3JLA8UOtuZqY5MJuq_01g&v=mz-NwWY2qOY
(he mentions queen excluders. I don't use one because I have small cell bees and the queen could fit through the excluder. More on that later...)
I planned on 4 medium, 8 frame boxes per hive when I ordered. Most beekeeping supply companies offer hive kits, but those only come with 1-2 boxes and you'll soon need more so I figured I'd save on shipping later by buying them all at once. It was also much more convenient to already have the boxes assembled, painted, and ready to put on the hive instead of having to wait for extra boxes to arrive, assemble them, paint and wait for the paint to dry, and THEN put them on the hive. I had 1 instance our first spring where the hive was so full of bees that they almost swarmed (split their colony in 2; half of the colony "runs away" to make a home in the wild because the hive is over-crowded). I put a box on them immediately and they didn't swarm. If I'd had to wait even 2-3 days, they most likely would have swarmed and I would have lost half of my bees. Better to have extra equipment sitting around for when you need it than need extra equipment and have to drive all over to find it or wait for shipping.
I use crimp wire foundation, which needs wedge-top, divided bottom frames (watch the video on the bottom of the frame page). I use small cell bees (mine are from Wolf Creek and are mutts, with local wild bee genes thrown into the mix and I haven't had any pest problems), so I needed small cell foundation.
I opted for a decorative, copper topped outer cover because the hives are in my back yard and I wanted them as much beautiful as functional. Brushy Mountain's copper tops are GORGEOUS, the highest quality I've seen anywhere (and I did a LOT of looking before ordering considering their price!) and the absolute best price I could find. Walter Kelly's are twice as much, and with a $50 price tag from Brushy Mountain, it would be painful to over-pay by double. Standard, aka telescoping, outer covers need a weight on top to keep them from blowing away. Most people use a large rock, a brick, etc. This can cause the cover to bow in overtime. If you're running a large operation, your bees are out in a field somewhere, or you don't care for esthetics, the standard covers work absolutely fine. The copper outer cover, also called a "Garden Top", from Brushy Mountain weighs 10 lbs (yes, I stood on a scale with it and weighed it) and I have not had any issues whatsoever of them blowing off, even in our high-wind wind storms. I think the peaked roof helps with the wind too.
Here are step-by-step pictures of how to assemble all of this equipment. I referred to it often when building my hives and found it VERY helpful:
http://www.bees-and-beekeeping.com/build-a-bee-hive.html
Here's the equipment I used and plan to buy more of when I split my hives, starting from the top down.
All of this will cost you more than a hive kit, but the hive kit only includes the (standard) outer cover, inner cover, 2 medium 8 frame boxes, 16 frames, an IPM Bottom Board, and nails. Purchasing separately gives you everything you need, for cheaper overall. It's $40 cheaper to buy everything separately than it is to buy the hive kit and add the items you need. :)
•8 Frame Telescoping Top
Price: $18.95
OR
8-Frame Garden Copper Top
Price: $49.95
Regular top:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Telescoping-Top/productinfo/254TT/
Copper aka Garden top:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Garden-Copper-Top/productinfo/254T/
•8 Frame Inner Cover
Price: $9.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Inner-Cover/productinfo/254IC/
•Commercial 8-Frame Unassembled Medium Super (4 per hive for the first year)
Price: $12.50 each
These can have some knots and are therefore a few dollars per box cheaper than the boxes listed as "Pine" (these are also pine), but they are structurally sound. I think the knots look lovely, and with a coat of paint, you really aren't going to see the difference.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Commercial-8-Frame-Unassembled-Medium-Super/productinfo/8381/
•6-1/4" Frame Wedge Top/Divided Bottom UNASSEMBLED (8 per box x 4 boxes = 32 needed)
Price: $1.60 each
Please watch the short video at the bottom of the page! It's very informative.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/6-1_4-Frame-Wedge-Top_Divided-Bottom-each/productinfo/147/
•50 Sheet Box Small Cell 5-5/8" Crimp Wire Foundation (32 sheets needed)
Price: $48.95
NOTE: They also sell this in 10 sheet increments. 40 sheets at the 10 sheet price would be about $2 less than 50 sheets since you get a discount for 50 sheets. I purchased equipment for 2 hives at once so I did the math to order foundation in the most economical increments.
Also, this is for SMALL CELL foundation. If you are using standard sized bees, you need "regular" foundation. Check out Wolf Creek apiaries for more information on Small Cell bees and why they are making a come-back.
Some people choose to not use any foundation. I tried letting my bees build wax without foundation in 1 box and it was a hot mess. Nothing was where it should have been. I now ALWAYS use foundation. :)
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/50-Sheet-Box-Small-Cell-5-5_8-Crimp-Wire-Foundation/productinfo/285/
•8-Frame Slatted Rack
Price: $12.95
This is an optional piece, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!! It's like a foyer for the bees! They seem to really appreciate having the extra space between their "front door" and the frames. I have not had any issues with the bees gluing the bottom of their frames down at all, thanks to this.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Slatted-Rack/productinfo/8672/
•8 Frame IPM Bottom Board with corrugated sheet
Price: $17.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-IPM-Bottom-Board/productinfo/254IPM/
•8 Frame Hive Stand
Price: $12.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Hive-Stand/productinfo/254HS/
•1 lb.7-D Nails (for assembling the hive boxes)
Price: $3.00
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-lb7-D-Nails/productinfo/677/
•1 lb.1-1/4 Nails (for assembling the frames)
Price: $3.50
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-lb1-1_4-Nails/productinfo/678/
You will also need a hive tool, paint (exterior paint in your color preference. Most people use white), and wood glue. Wood glue is absolutely essential!!! The nails are used to hold the pieces in place while the glue dries. A glued joint is MUCH stronger than a nailed joint! Lowe's has a great price on this wood glue in their store (titebond 3 also works very well and is what I use in my poison dart frog tanks when making custom backgrounds)
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=41218-970-75004&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3397564&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
I prefer equipment from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm (Walter Kelly equipment is TERRIBLE in comparison! I got some frames from a co-op in a pinch and returned them. The wait for Brushy Mountain equipment to ship was worth it). Brushy mountain offers free shipping on orders over $150!
I use all 8 frame mediums for my hives. There are 3 sizes of supers, or boxes, that are used on hives; Deeps, Mediums, and Shallows. By using all mediums, I only have to have 1 size of frame and 1 size of foundation. Makes things much easier, in my experience.
The bees seem to really like 8 frame hives and I know several long-time bee keepers who are using more and more 8 frame equipment instead of 10 frame (you CANNOT mix 8 and 10 frame equipment so make sure you're buying equipment of all 10 frame or all 8 frame size!). Bees have a tendency to like to build up instead of out and will often not want to build on the outer frames (frames 1 and 10) in a 10 frame hive. I had no problem whatsoever getting my bees to build on frames 1 and 8 in my hives; the queen even laid eggs on the comb facing the inside of the box! Usually they like to only lay in the center of the boxes.
Watch this excellent ~5 min video if you want to know more about the different size boxes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUx3JLA8UOtuZqY5MJuq_01g&v=mz-NwWY2qOY
(he mentions queen excluders. I don't use one because I have small cell bees and the queen could fit through the excluder. More on that later...)
I planned on 4 medium, 8 frame boxes per hive when I ordered. Most beekeeping supply companies offer hive kits, but those only come with 1-2 boxes and you'll soon need more so I figured I'd save on shipping later by buying them all at once. It was also much more convenient to already have the boxes assembled, painted, and ready to put on the hive instead of having to wait for extra boxes to arrive, assemble them, paint and wait for the paint to dry, and THEN put them on the hive. I had 1 instance our first spring where the hive was so full of bees that they almost swarmed (split their colony in 2; half of the colony "runs away" to make a home in the wild because the hive is over-crowded). I put a box on them immediately and they didn't swarm. If I'd had to wait even 2-3 days, they most likely would have swarmed and I would have lost half of my bees. Better to have extra equipment sitting around for when you need it than need extra equipment and have to drive all over to find it or wait for shipping.
I use crimp wire foundation, which needs wedge-top, divided bottom frames (watch the video on the bottom of the frame page). I use small cell bees (mine are from Wolf Creek and are mutts, with local wild bee genes thrown into the mix and I haven't had any pest problems), so I needed small cell foundation.
I opted for a decorative, copper topped outer cover because the hives are in my back yard and I wanted them as much beautiful as functional. Brushy Mountain's copper tops are GORGEOUS, the highest quality I've seen anywhere (and I did a LOT of looking before ordering considering their price!) and the absolute best price I could find. Walter Kelly's are twice as much, and with a $50 price tag from Brushy Mountain, it would be painful to over-pay by double. Standard, aka telescoping, outer covers need a weight on top to keep them from blowing away. Most people use a large rock, a brick, etc. This can cause the cover to bow in overtime. If you're running a large operation, your bees are out in a field somewhere, or you don't care for esthetics, the standard covers work absolutely fine. The copper outer cover, also called a "Garden Top", from Brushy Mountain weighs 10 lbs (yes, I stood on a scale with it and weighed it) and I have not had any issues whatsoever of them blowing off, even in our high-wind wind storms. I think the peaked roof helps with the wind too.
Here are step-by-step pictures of how to assemble all of this equipment. I referred to it often when building my hives and found it VERY helpful:
http://www.bees-and-beekeeping.com/build-a-bee-hive.html
Here's the equipment I used and plan to buy more of when I split my hives, starting from the top down.
All of this will cost you more than a hive kit, but the hive kit only includes the (standard) outer cover, inner cover, 2 medium 8 frame boxes, 16 frames, an IPM Bottom Board, and nails. Purchasing separately gives you everything you need, for cheaper overall. It's $40 cheaper to buy everything separately than it is to buy the hive kit and add the items you need. :)
•8 Frame Telescoping Top
Price: $18.95
OR
8-Frame Garden Copper Top
Price: $49.95
Regular top:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Telescoping-Top/productinfo/254TT/
Copper aka Garden top:
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Garden-Copper-Top/productinfo/254T/
•8 Frame Inner Cover
Price: $9.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Inner-Cover/productinfo/254IC/
•Commercial 8-Frame Unassembled Medium Super (4 per hive for the first year)
Price: $12.50 each
These can have some knots and are therefore a few dollars per box cheaper than the boxes listed as "Pine" (these are also pine), but they are structurally sound. I think the knots look lovely, and with a coat of paint, you really aren't going to see the difference.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Commercial-8-Frame-Unassembled-Medium-Super/productinfo/8381/
•6-1/4" Frame Wedge Top/Divided Bottom UNASSEMBLED (8 per box x 4 boxes = 32 needed)
Price: $1.60 each
Please watch the short video at the bottom of the page! It's very informative.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/6-1_4-Frame-Wedge-Top_Divided-Bottom-each/productinfo/147/
•50 Sheet Box Small Cell 5-5/8" Crimp Wire Foundation (32 sheets needed)
Price: $48.95
NOTE: They also sell this in 10 sheet increments. 40 sheets at the 10 sheet price would be about $2 less than 50 sheets since you get a discount for 50 sheets. I purchased equipment for 2 hives at once so I did the math to order foundation in the most economical increments.
Also, this is for SMALL CELL foundation. If you are using standard sized bees, you need "regular" foundation. Check out Wolf Creek apiaries for more information on Small Cell bees and why they are making a come-back.
Some people choose to not use any foundation. I tried letting my bees build wax without foundation in 1 box and it was a hot mess. Nothing was where it should have been. I now ALWAYS use foundation. :)
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/50-Sheet-Box-Small-Cell-5-5_8-Crimp-Wire-Foundation/productinfo/285/
•8-Frame Slatted Rack
Price: $12.95
This is an optional piece, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!! It's like a foyer for the bees! They seem to really appreciate having the extra space between their "front door" and the frames. I have not had any issues with the bees gluing the bottom of their frames down at all, thanks to this.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Slatted-Rack/productinfo/8672/
•8 Frame IPM Bottom Board with corrugated sheet
Price: $17.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-IPM-Bottom-Board/productinfo/254IPM/
•8 Frame Hive Stand
Price: $12.95
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/8-Frame-Hive-Stand/productinfo/254HS/
•1 lb.7-D Nails (for assembling the hive boxes)
Price: $3.00
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-lb7-D-Nails/productinfo/677/
•1 lb.1-1/4 Nails (for assembling the frames)
Price: $3.50
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/1-lb1-1_4-Nails/productinfo/678/
You will also need a hive tool, paint (exterior paint in your color preference. Most people use white), and wood glue. Wood glue is absolutely essential!!! The nails are used to hold the pieces in place while the glue dries. A glued joint is MUCH stronger than a nailed joint! Lowe's has a great price on this wood glue in their store (titebond 3 also works very well and is what I use in my poison dart frog tanks when making custom backgrounds)
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=41218-970-75004&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3397564&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1