3 replies to this topic

[TheCrazyAntLady]

Hey! I've been considering getting into beekeeping but I only know a little bit. I want to add honey to the list of things I produce on my farm so I can sell more at flea markets and roadside markets. Does anyone have any tips? Like I know that you can get a NUC but I want to know if that's really the best thing. Thanks!

[ANTdrew]

My best tip would be to find a dedicated bee forum. I think hardly anyone on here knows anything about beekeeping.

[TheCrazyAntLady]

Thanks! I'll get to looking! 😁

[AntPhycho]

Hey! I've been considering getting into beekeeping but I only know a little bit. I want to add honey to the list of things I produce on my farm so I can sell more at flea markets and roadside markets. Does anyone have any tips? Like I know that you can get a NUC but I want to know if that's really the best thing. Thanks!

 

 

Wish I would have been active to see this post, I know I am very late, but if by some chance you didn't get scared away I (someone that knows a bit about bees) can help you. We have a Bee sub forum for a reason.

 

 

If I were you I wouldn't mess around with NUCS and just go ahead and (as a beginner) buy two fully established colonies in two ten frame brood boxes with at least six of those frames full of bees from a trustworthy local beekeeper. Make sure these are Langstroth style hives, as they are the most efficient and easiest to handle. You can get in touch with bee keepers in your area through flea markets, farmers markets, ect. You will also want to purchase an additional two more deep honey supers, you put these on the two hives (brood boxes) during spring in order to collect honey. So start with these two hives for your first year, so you can get a feel for what you are doing. Later you can always buy more hives. The most important tools that you want to get would be your smoker, don't try without it like yours truly, you will get swarmed, your hive tool, and a bee brush. You can use egg cartons as smoker fuel opposed to expensive pellets found online. If you are buying cheap bee suits, remember bees can sting through them, so make sure to wear a heavy jacket underneath and two pairs of jeans (they will go right through one layer of skinny jeans). Make sure to invest in a honey extractor, do not destroy drawn comb in order to extract honey as it will cost you time in the long run. You will need to uncap this comb when it comes harvest, so you usually use a special uncapping comb or heat gun. If you see some bee larvae cells in the same frame that has honey make sure to only uncap the honey and not the larvae cells or they will spin out into your honey. Buy a honey filter in order to make sure no contaminants get into the honey. In the winter, you will remove your top honey supers and feed the bees sugar water and/or sugar cakes. You can use either or a mixture of the two. I usually use the sugar cakes for weak colonies but they may be more convenient for large colonies as well. 

 

There was a quick rundown of bee keeping. I would check the rest of this sub-forum as I have posted a few other helpful things as well as a "DIY Langstroth Hive" tutorial if you were to buy only the bees. Beekeeping is one of the oldest and most rewarding hobbies, I wish you luck and feel free to ask any further questions as this was a very very quick rundown as this was only the basics and a few tips.