Hello I'll start off with I have never had bees before. I've always wanted a hive or two of my own when I first cracked open that book of 4-H projects years ago. Now that I have a place of my own and the ball and chain finally warmed up to the idea of fresh honey, I have been looking more and more into it. I know research is the first thing that should take place before any project and I have read and watched more youtube channels over the years than I care to count. But what are some things you guys would suggest starting out? What are some pros and cons of Langstroth and top bar hives? I live in north central ohio so is there a specific type of bee you would suggest? What type of equipment is mandatory? Any and all tips and tricks are appreciated.
I'm a very amateur beekeeper, and learned much is what I know from bk, so I'm going to leave him and the other more seasoned beeks to answer your questions.
Hello I'll start off with I have never had bees before. I've always wanted a hive or two of my own when I first cracked open that book of 4-H projects years ago. Now that I have a place of my own and the ball and chain finally warmed up to the idea of fresh honey, I have been looking more and more into it. I know research is the first thing that should take place before any project and I have read and watched more youtube channels over the years than I care to count. But what are some things you guys would suggest starting out? What are some pros and cons of Langstroth and top bar hives? I live in north central ohio so is there a specific type of bee you would suggest? What type of equipment is mandatory? Any and all tips and tricks are appreciated.
Great questions, muskrat24. Glad to see you are doing your research. Lots of info out there in print, on youtube, and the web - some good, some OK, and some just plain bad (but that is something you find in researching any topic). There is a saying in bee keeping that if you ask 5 bee keepers their opinion on something you will get at least six different answers, so keep that in mind.
So...in starting out I'd suggest a few things from my experience. 1. The first year or so can be a challenging path because you don't know what you are doing, or what the bees are doing and youtube only takes you so far. Find a local mentor or a local bee club to walk with you. 2. Get two packages or two nucs to start with. As a new beek, you then have two colonies you can compare and see what works and what doesn't. 3. Get you bees locally if at all possible. That being said, most bees being sold are not local. In my area in NW Wisconsin, the packages come from CA or the gulf coast. Big difference between our local winter hardy bees and the packages brought in. If you can buy bees from a keeper in the area that has be raising / over wintering bees, I highly recommend it. Breed of bee is not critical, get your feet wet and then you can focus on a particular breed if you so desire. That being said, I like mutts, they seem to be hardy for my area and the gene pool is diverse enough to balance good bee production with good honey production and gentleness. 4.I'm partial to Lang hives, but that is because of the area I live in, and for ease of extraction. Around my area, Topbars are for annual bees - they won't overwinter. I build my own woodenware, and find the various Lang parts gives me great flexibility. Regulations in most parts of the country require moveable frames, but that is possible with either Langs or Topbars. 5. Please be a beekeeper and not a beehaver. Our area has lots of people who get bees, look at them once or twice, and let the bees do their bee thing - that is not beekeeping. Being a beekeeper takes time and energy. They need to be managed and cared for, just like livestock. And that is a process.
Off to a service call, so I'll cut this off for now. Toss out questions as needed. This can be a great thread.
Good luck and I'm more than willing to be a long distance bee mentor.
Muskrat, Glad to hear you are thinking of getting some bees. I have two hives at my place, that belong to a friend that has a lot of bees. If there is some one that you can tag along with, and pick up some knowledge. It is a big help. Get yourself a bee suit so you can get close and personal, with them. They are a very interesting insect. I know very little about them yet, but hope to as time goes on, usually you learn by your mistakes.
I have been watching videos, lots of info. I have been making some hive equipment this winter, Go to Michigan bees, then to the bee keepers workshop. all kinds of plans there. If you have time and are a bit handy. You can make your own equipment, and save a few bucks. May even sell some equipment , to fund your hobby. Good Luck old243