GETTING STARTED IN BEEKEEPING

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GETTING STARTED IN BEEKEEPING
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THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Level of commitment
• Cost
• Location/Liability
• Equipment
• Resources

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ARE YOU COMMITTED?

• Time
• Physical work
• Getting discouraged/frustrations
• Willingness to educate yourself

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COST
5
LOCATION

• Liability
• Neighbors
• Children/pets
• Town ordinances
• Sunny location with water

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Basic Equipment Needed

• Hive Tool
• Smoker Fuel
• Gloves
• Bee Suit / Veil

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THE HIVE AND ITS PARTS
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How To Get Bees

• Buy an Established Hive
• Buy a Nuc
• Buy a Package
• Catch a swarm
• Take Bees Out of Something

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Buy An Established Hive

• Turn KeyReady to Go
• Costs Usually Less
• May Include Honey
• Best Chance of Making Honey Crop
• No Assembly Req.

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Buy A Nuc

• Small Population to Start With
• Cost the Same as Packages
• Builds Up Faster Than Package/Swarm
• Good Chance of Making Honey Crop

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Buy A Package

• Certified as disease free
• Small Population to Start With
• No Swarming Usually First Year

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Catch A Swarm

• Healthy eager bees
• Small population to start with
• Usually easy to handle
• Free

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Mail Order Swarms
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Ask and Do

• Read a Bee Book
• Ask many Beekeepers Questions Listen to Fish
  Tales
• Go to Bee Meetings Workshops
• Get your Hands Sticky
• Tell Your Own Fish Tales