How To Buy Bees or Do You Get Free Bees | How To Start Beekeeping | The Bush Bee Man

[@Zemanbeast]

I've been looking into bees for the last 6 months, watching as many videos as possible and bought a couple books to get prepared. Here In Kentucky, U.S. there are no restrictions (semi rural area) but the state offers free inspections.

[@michaelbaldwin3356]

Here in Kentucky US, there is no Inspection unless moving across state line as honey bees are not viewed as live stock. My county and city doesn’t have any ordinance for bees either. I’m glad too as I caught the swarm on a job site I was working. Job super wanted me to spray them because he was afraid of them. Once I seen what it was I got a box and scooped them off a silt fence.

[@Dstick1Spearfishing]

Some funny stories Mark, thanks for sharing the info! Stay Safe!

[@richardweir9756]

PS I have your teaching shows as you are a good teacher

[@collegeguy14]

You’re not a beek without driving with a hive in your enclosed car! Hah we have all been there. Cheers from Ky USA

[@wadebarnes6720]

I picked my first ones up on the moped.lol

[@MajorTnarg]

I love all of these videos the Bush Bee Man is so funny

[@hesherette]

awesome! i love hearing your stories in between all the knowledge/ facts!

[@AwesomeFish12]

I started with a 4 frame nuc that was severely infected with chalkbrood. It was a steep learning curve.

[@ladybeekeeper7777]

I’m sorry that happened. I supply nucleus colonies and I cannot believe people do this to newbies. I just don’t understand how it’s helpful to the new beekeeper or the supplier who no doubt would not get return business. I have many clients who return to buy nucs from me every year. I do put a lot of work into nuc hives though.

[@AwesomeFish12]

@@ladybeekeeper7777 They are a reliable seller. I think I was just extremely unlucky and they just didn't inspect it in the week leading up to sale. It was part of the last batch of nucs of the season in mid/late Autumn in SE QLD. So I had to feed them through winter and build them up to the point that they could survive the chalkbrood, which seemed impossible since two thirds of pupae were dying. I fed them until the flow started, then they just exploded and for two years they were the best colony I have ever had. I've never looked back. This was many years ago. I have a LOT more than a 4 frame Nuc now. If you put the effort into studying and are able to implement new ideas, things work out.

[@ladybeekeeper7777]

@@AwesomeFish12 that’s good to hear 👍

[@TrickyTrev01]

Great tips Mark. Awesome stuff TrickyTrev 👍🐝🍯

[@richardweir9756]

Hi Mark, I live in Salibury North SA. Do you have bees for sale as I am wishing to purchase a nuc. How much do you sell them for. All I require is 5 frames, I have my own nuc. Regards Richard Weir

[@DarthFelipe1]

Have you ever talked about your landscaping that appeared in this video? Was it planned with bees in mind?

[@AwesomeFish12]

I think most of his Orchards were planted before he became a beekeeper. He is an Almond pollinator and grower, notorious for being insufficient forrage in the long term, hence his need to become a migratory pollinator.

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

I have been having a look at what people are charging for bees and equipment, and have come to a conclusion that if we want to encourage young people into the business then we need to supply or lend out some hives to kids to get them started, the prices are way too high to encourage the younger gen. A little friendly mentoring would not go astray either.

[@starfallsnow4490]

As someone looking to get into beekeeping in the future, it seemed like figuring out how to do the ill-advised thing of making my own boxes and things would have to be my route. Mostly because the woodworking tools are already available.

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

@@starfallsnow4490 When you look at the price of lumber etc etc unless you have a ready supply of free materials the labor involved doesn't add up, it is cheaper just to buy flat packed boxes and merely assemble them. Please by all means try bees, you will never regret it. There are any number of peeps that would be very willing to mentor you, without a cash incentive.

[@starfallsnow4490]

@@sentimentalbloke7586 It helps that I give myself a 100% waiver of the labor charges or I couldn't afford me, but there is quite a lot of time between now and when I could start working with bees - partly because it's now winter here and we had a freeze last night. There was someone who kept a hive a couple of blocks away, but kids kept destroying his boxes. I need to check with them too when ready. Thank you for helping me mentally sort things a bit better.

[@AwesomeFish12]

@@starfallsnow4490 Don't build from scratch. Figure out whether you want a "langstroth" or a "Top Bar". If you are older and have a bad back or are in a wheel chair a top bar requires no heavy lifting but requires multiple visits per week to keep them in line. It's a lot more work for a Top Bar and less convenient, because you can't use an extractor, so it is all cut comb/chunk honey but a lot more wax production and "crush and strain" extraction is a LOT more work unless you buy a press(not cheap). If you want honey production go with a Langstroth. If you have a weak back as many of us do, put an excluder over the brood box/boxes(often they want two) and use shallower boxes as supers(honey storage), like mediums or ideals. There are a whole bunch of problems that come with using mixed sized boxes which is why few people do it. For instance the frames aren't interchangable with brood boxes. Using small boxes for brood boxes is also unadvisable. This is why if you are looking for maximum honey and a bunch of wax as a bonus standard full depth boxes are best. That's why full depth box Langstroths are the standard for both industry and home hobbyists. Buy them as flat packs, glue and screw them, use a square to get the corners right throw a couple of clamps on there as it dries and it is way cheaper than buying full boxes. Super easy.

[@esthergleixner3985]

@@starfallsnow4490 Hi - Just a few suggestions: Look into buying a Flow Hive which has all the features built in for disease management and has a great system for harvesting that saves money in all the equipment and mess involved in decapping and spinning the honey frames, not to mention disturbing and killing lots of bees. You just insert a large key and the honey flows out the back into a jar - while the bees go in and out the front none the wiser. I went for the smaller 8 frame size to make it easier to lift the boxes when checking the hives. They have lots of info, free videos and great back up customer service and bee keeping advice only an email or phone call away. I like too that they are Australian made and an Australian invention. The next suggestion is - Consider buying - separately or as well as a Flow Hive - a flat pack of a ready made Langstroth hive and flat pack frames wire, eyelets and a few sheets of wax. Make sure all are either Australian or New Zealand sourced materials to avoid diseases. This will give you a template for any hives you would like to build yourself later. It has been advised to have 2 hives for a whole host of reasons which I won't go into - but I have found are correct. Believe me - you will be kept busy woodworking making stands, peaked roofs to replace flat Langstroth roofs, bottom boards etc etc throughout your time as a beekeeper. And yes - have a look at all the great designs for long Langstroth hives if you would really like a challenge - but use a commercially obtained frame to get the dimensions and ledge they sit on inside the hive and all the other spacing correct. Sounds like you will have a lot of fun. Good luck!!! Kind regards, Esther (Flinders Victoria Australia)

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

Prattling on about genetics etc if the hive requeens at any time you just don't know what the new genetics will be, you may start with an Italian (brown), and by the end of the season the bees are distinctly German (black), or any mix at all. One thing is for sure and that is that queens will not mate with drones from her own hive.

[@AwesomeFish12]

I've noticed the same thing. The genetics vary a lot, and since the queen mates with a large number of different drones you can get darker bees mixed in with lighter bees from the same queen. My stance is that mixed genetics local bees that have been adapting to the local conditions for many generations are better than pure bred. The climate and flora here isn't the same as Italy or the Caucasus, so locally adapted bees are my preference.

[@davidbutton8497]

Uncle Arthur a little little little bit of a 🐝

[@wadebarnes6720]

Knocking wood we can have as many bees as we want

[@winnie-the-poohahaha4428]

But I’m a tightarse