"Look for the.... bare necessities, the simple...."

[milkermel]

If all you are wanting long term is 2 colonies then get two good hives and then a couple of extra ply hives for spares when you end up with swarms etc. helps keep the cost down.

Offer to help OH out with a car boot sale - most of my bee money is from boot sales - hubby donates stuff from time to time and doesnt complain about the number of hives as it is funded by me clearing all the crud out of the house!

And as for the comment about get a couple of hive tools - get 4 I can never put my hands on more than 2 at any one time!! Oh and the marigolds! hubby treated me to a couple of pairs and promptly for a couple of visits to the hives I could only find left hand options!!

 

[drstitson]

"Packet of Piriton (Boots equivalent)"

Piriton may be a real rip off but even buying Boots own brand you are paying over the odds and condoning tax avoidance (check out googlemaps - Baarerstrasse 78 CH-6300 Zug - 150+ companies in the same building apparently).

real cheapo generics are often 2 4 1 at superdrug.

 

[Headnavigator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-lGwyySrwY

That'd do nicely for the heifers that got into the garden, thank you.

As for contributing to tax avoidance by taking the occasional anti-histamine, I think I can live with the conflict between my principles and my conscience. Anyone elso got a problem with that?

 

[TBRNoTB]

Can't add to the replies so far, but I do want to congratulate you on that photo! Is that what passes for a bee beard in Manchester?

I thought it was something to do with the "not so old fa*t"

 

[drstitson]

Just pointing out that even Own Brands may be more expensive than the bog standard generics

(and for those unaware, that Boots no longer has it's true corporate roots buried in wholesome East Midlands soil but has chosen to put it's HQ name plate on a maildrop above an anonymous Swiss Post Office).

 

[beeatshellards]

cutting costs, a goose feather from the butchers instead of a bee brush, long grass for sealing up the smoker, tea towel with a coathanger as a covering cloth, there must be more out there to cut cost

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Hi all,

Recently there's been a tide of new Forum members who, like me, are wanting to get started. Much of the advice is about reading, listening and learning from others.

I thought it worth dragging this thread out of retirement, as Forum members did a lot to help me get my head round what gear I might need for the first year. So I've summarised what people put - but I hope other new members will read the posts - and perhaps other experienced members might add to it.


Hives

The minimalist view was I brood box with one super - or, from a dangerous radical, 2 top bar hives with 2 collected swarms.

Suggest you read the first response to the thread

More people suggested 2 hives, as this relieves anxiety around swarming. The general view is that hives include: stand, open mesh floor, brood box (on nationals, 14 x 12 seem to be in favour in other threads), 2 or 3 supers per hive, crown board roof, queen excluder.

Other suggestions included 4 hives - or even 10!!! A nuc. Spares of everything!

Also listed are: Frames and foundation, of course. Mouse guard. Porter bee escapes. 2 hive straps. Frame holders. Contact feeders.


Basic equipment

Suit and veil, marigolds/blue nitrile gloves. Smoker (and cork for the spout - or long grass), smoker fuel, hive tool (or two or even 4 as they get mislaid).


The little black bag

(Well, it may not be black, but visits to my local BKA show that everyone has to have a bag of gubbins.)

The following were all suggested:

Matches or a gas lighter + refill, 2/3 queen catchers/holders, Vaseline, drawing pins (and cork to put them in), pin pusher, tack hammer, long-nosed pliers, pens for marking queens, magnifying glass, scalpel/Stanley knife (for Q cells), hand sprayer for water, lemon grass/vanilla essential oils, syringe, containers for excess wax/propolis, bee brush/goose feather, foam to block hive entrances, duct tape ......... and finally, Piriton (or generic equivalent).



And good luck to us all!

(Remember - Christmas is coming....)

 

[itma]

Hi all,

Recently there's been a tide of new Forum members who, like me, are wanting to get started. Much of the advice is about reading, listening and learning from others.
...

(Remember - Christmas is coming....)

Its not remotely NEEDED, but I think a polycarbonate (see through) crown board (rather than a plain ply one) has to be well worthwhile for the new beekeeper.
And Christmas presents should have (as I keep being told) a necessary touch of unnecessary excess.

 

[MuswellMetro]

OK, you asked for it!
Cork to stuff in the smoker spout to suffocate it.
Another cork with drawing pins in it
Packet of Piriton (Boots equivalent)
Vaseline
Little hand-spray with water in it
Small phial of lemon-grass essential oil
Ditto vanilla

.

then the consumables

for two hives

40lb-60lb of Sugar and two large feeders
five lb of bakers fondant
6 yes 6 not 4 tub apiguard...heavy mite drop as the will have bred like mad
A Gross of lb jars
A gross of 58mm lids
200 Jar labels
1/2 gross of half jar to give honey to freinds ( i am mean)
Oxalic Acid
10 extra brood Frames for frame exchange
10 extra brood foundation

then the extras they forgot to tell you about

blown torch and gas to clean the hive, QE and supers
pair of new gloves as you have ruined the old ones
two packs of Washing Soda to cleen your hive tools and gloves
large plastic bucket tub for Soda
6x15lb and 2x30lb honey buckets
filter
30lb honey tank with tap

and a borrowed extractor, perhpas a large tray to stop the floor getting stich, an un capping knife etc etc

 

[itma]

What's the Vanilla used for?



Cooking?

 

[jakethedog]

book/cards etc for some kind of record keeping -however basic.
secateurs -retrieving that swarm that's settled in the shrubbery.