First, a diagram of hives I will have,
I started a beekeeping course at the county extension office in January. It is 7 weeks long.
Craig Green is the instructor.
This is a very involved hobby! And NOT cheap lol..
Monday I stopped in Knoxville at the Farm and Home where another beekeeper has supers for sale. I want the mediums, 6 5/8" deep. These will still weight about 40lbs when they have honey!
I am going to have three of them for my hive body. It was $13 dollars for painted super x 3 and $2.75/frame x 40. Total cost, $162. I will add more for honey supers as needed.
I need to get my basic hives next payday. They will only have one super with them.
Will be about $105 each. I have done some research into what I want.
I found a pattern for a veil today. I will try to make my own. And get a wide brim hat to wear it over. I am also going to get a white jacket.
Some blogs talk about using non latex gloves so you still can feel when working with the bees. Others don't wear gloves at all. I will get a pair of leather ones to have first lol...
I also need to get a smoker and a 5-1 painter tool. That is the start.
I have bought several books I am reading. I want to get "Beekeeping for Dummies" also. Can't have too many books!
Need to get benedryl and make sure my epipen is still good lol.
Bees come in about the 20th of April. Give or take a week. That will be 2# cages at $73 apiece, $146.
And I have to study how to introduce them. I want to practice that before they get here!
This is going to be fun and scary! Um and expensive to start!