With the many people that come into my store interested in starting in the craft and hobby of bee-keeper there is normally a mountain of questions. The form bellow is both a place for the mountain of questions that you have which will help guild me in my writing and will sign you up to get updates on future writes.
I wanted to start with the reasons we are here in the first place, the bee. You are ether here to ‘save the bees’ or here because you are fascinated by something they may have done or something they do.
There are many different breeds of bees that are sold in ether packages, nucleus colonies, or just solo queens. The type of bee, in your first year especially, will not be as important as how those bees are kept and the condition they are in when you get her. Because this blog is to help those that have bought bees from me, I would like to like to send time justifying, selling the idea of my bees to you.
In late April I will have nucleus colonies (nucs) ready for put up. They reason I sell nucs as-opposed-to the packages is twofold. First a nuc is as much as 5 weeks ahead in their spring development then a package. In your first year you will be starting with drawn comb. Secondly, they are want I use. I will be able to help you help your bees through the first year of their management. I will be managing 12 of these nucs along side you and videoing everything posting those videos on this site and YouTube. I am not able to help those that get a different bee than the ones I have for sale.
The nucs I have for sale are, like most bees sold, from out of state. But the plan is this. This year I am working with a southern bee-keeper to supply the demand for new bees while also working on my craft of raising queens and queen-cells. In 2025 I will have both advalable in the hopes your bees are healthy and robust in the spring in such a way you will need to split them. These splits I would then be more than happy to buy those splits from you to pass on to new bee-keepers. That is the big picture.
Once we settled on the bee, we can start talking about the equipment you will need. I am putting together a starter pack you can get. There is also the not guaranteed way to get bees. To catch a swarm. In the spring time I can be completely inundated with calls of people that have swarms on their trees, bushes, and fences. I manage a group chat on Whatsup App where I post these calls. I wouldn’t reply on getting a swarm but the box in which your nuc comes is a great vessel to keep in your car in case you see a near by swarm.