Some Things to Consider:

Cost: Beginner’s starting kits are available from all the suppliers for about $150.  You will also have to get bees (usually around $70), and some other items over the course of a colony’s first year.  Figure on about $250/colony for its first year. 

Location: Bees can be kept in all sorts of places – even apartment verandas.  The best pick is a sunny spot with at least 10 feet of clear space in front of the colony, and enough room behind to work the colony.  You will still have the full use of the rest of your yard, and the area in front of the colony can be used as a garden. 

Yield: Do not expect harvestable honey out of a first year colony.  After the first year, a hive in this area generally produces about 50-60 pounds of harvestable honey.  The colony will also pollinate your vegetable garden and fruit trees, increasing their yield. 

Required Time: Figure on about 1 hour/month for established colonies. 

Stings: Kept bees are selected to be gentle, but all beekeepers occasionally get stung.  Remember that to the bees, you are an intruder in their house.  While some swelling is normal, true allergic reactions to honeybees (anaphylactic  shock) are rare. 

Children: Children can start working colonies at around 6 years old with adult assistance (mostly for lifting).  At about 12 years old, they will be strong enough to do all the hive work themselves. 

Training: You cannot train bees – they will train you.  Fortunately, bees have over 3000 years experience training beekeepers, and they have gotten good at it.  In addition, local beekeeping associations offer beginner’s courses that are either free or very reasonably priced, and have people available for questions. 

Come Join the Fun of Beekeeping 

The Wiregrass Beekeepers Association meets on the first Thursday of every month (except November) at 7 pm in the Houston County Farm Center.  We have a free Beginning Beekeeping course every spring, and our meeting topics discuss all aspects of local beekeeping.  Come on by and meet the gang. 

For more information contact Bill Miller (wgmiller@aol.com).

 

Some Beekeeping Equipment Supply Companies 

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm  610 Bethany Church Road 

www.brushymountainbeefarm.com Moravian Falls, NC 28654

                                    800-233-7929 

Dadant     P.O. Box 888, 17074 Northwest 188 St. 
www.dadant.com    High Springs, FL 32655 

                                    1-877-832-3268         

Walter T. Kelley Co.    PO Box 240 807 W. Main Street

www.kelleybees.com    Clarkson, KY 42726                

       1-800-233-2899 

Millie Bee     P0 Box 105, Beauchamp Farm Road

email: milliebee@earth-comm.com Marianna, Fl. 32447

(no website)     850) 762-2255 

Rossman Apiaries    P. O. Box 909 
www.gabees.com    Moultrie, Georgia 31776

                                    1-800-333-7677 

A few Bee Suppliers (packages and nucs) 

Try to place your bee order in November for late March –early April delivery. 

Millie Bee (nucs) 

Rossman Apiaries (packages) 

Wilbanks Apiaries (packages)

P.O. Box 12. Claxton, GA. 30417 phone: 912-739-4820