Total newbie just about to take the plunge - HELP!

[Beer Hunter]

Guys,

I hope you can help me out; I'm just about to take the plunge and buy my first hive and don't want to make an expensive mistake

Can you tell me if beginners kits like these are worth the money:
http://www.bees-online.co.uk/view.asp?ID=1120
http://www.thorne.co.uk/thorne7.htm
Or should I buy items individually?

Are there retailers people would recommend above others?
Are there any retailers in the North East Scotland - the Inverbervie / Stonehaven area?

Where would I buy bees - on-line? I see from other posts on here that there is the potential for disease in bees locally. Can a beginner easily tell the difference?

Cheers,
Kev.

[Calum]

Hi Kev,

the Thorne price looks ok.. No idea about the quality though.
Maybe you will get a better price for a hive if you buy it with the bees. But whatever you do buy your bees locally with the advice of the local association.
You will need
2-3 Colonies / two really strong ones so you can create a third one this year..
# 4 Honey Pails (plastic with lids 12,5kg capacity)
# 1 Hive Tool - American long
# 1 Smoker as big as you can (burns longer between refills)
# Veil
# bee brush
that should get you started... I hope your local association has a Honeyextractor - you will want to hold off on buying that till you know if you want to carry on.

http://www.swienty.com/ is well respected here and is in english - prices are competative for over here. I think I got all that for under 80 pounds (http://www.holtermann-shop.de but in German) and my hives (with bees and 2 supers) for 150 pounds for each colony...
A good book is good, but I never bothered with the gloves. If you mow the lawn you dont need fuel for the smoker!
all the best
Calum

[rourkie]

Hi kev, look at thornes bees on a buget kits they are 2nd qaulity cedar but the bees dont care a complete national hive in the flat is £108.70+vat. or a package includes hive plus veil gloves ect£152 +vat, or look for second hand equipment on ebay, or bid4bees. make contact with you local beeks they may be able to help out with kit and bees regards rourkie

[Beer Hunter]

Great stuff guys - thanks

Kev.

[Beer Hunter]

rourkie,

I've just found the package you mentioned:
------------------------------------
Package 2 – The Basic Kit
Everything in Package 1
plus a smoker, hive tool, leather
gloves, jacket and veil, bee
brush, smoker cartridges,
feeder and mouseguard
– £175.00
------------------------------------

I understand I'll need a honey extractor etc later, but is there anything else I would need immediately?

You mention:

4bees. make contact with you local beeks they may be able to help out with kit and bees

Can you tell me how I would find my local "beeks"?

Cheers,
Kev.

[rourkie]

hi kev, go onto the scottish beekeepers web site and look for the local groups theres a list on the site , pick the group nearest to you contact secretary and join, regards rourkie

[gavin]

Good advice there from both (though in 2009 I didn't need any honey buckets at all!).

You asked if there was anything else? I'd say a second hive tool as I was always losing them in my early years! The second quality equipment at Thornes is usually good, and as they sold a lot in their January sale I think that they are making up more to sell which may be of better quality than usual.

There are always more bits of beekeeping equipment you can buy (best hide your credit card if you plan a trip to Thornes in Newburgh in Fife) but I think that kit would get you going.

I'll send you a PM with a good contact local to you, and maybe more besides.

[Calum]

http://www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk...tml/links.html

I needed 14 12,5kg buckets in 2009, from 9 colonies in June. I was in china in August so someone else harvested my summer crop for me (but they did the Folic acid treatment & fed them as payment)..
I guess it is easier here.

[gavin]

I did take off a rape harvest but put it back on in the autumn (still in the supers) as I'd not been feeding as assiduously as I should given the poor summer (too busy on other things). Of the two I took to the heather one brought in a super of honey but as the brood box was light I just left that on too. We had an exceptionally wet summer and colonies were starving in mid and late summer. Oh, I also gave away three nucs and built up from four to six.

[Calum]

Hi Gavin,

yes our summer was not great either -but not that bad. I Expanded as well, from 9 to 17 colonies + one given away. We didn't have any 'wood' honey. Do you have that in the UK at all? Thats maybe a good thema for a blog on its own..
Here it is unusual to give the honey back to the bees as it is thought that the bees winter better on sugar stores (not so many minerals to overfill the stomach) and sugar is cheaper than honey. We were lucky that is was wet but warm enough that we got constant clover crops so no starvation problems but no great crop.