New Equipment. What to buy?

harvey · June 22, 2009, 10:53:45 PM

Hello All, Ok I have a small swarm that I caught a couple of weeks ago. They are currently in a brood box that I borrowed. I bought one brood box and two supers. Now I am looking at buying another brood box and exchanging the frames so that I can give his box back. His is set up for moving bees with the bottom permanently screwed on.

What to buy? One more brood box, yup a bottom board, inner cover and top cover. I am also making a list of stuff as I currently only have a smoker nothing else. I think I could use a jacket and veil, a frame holder? for when I inspect. Do I need another super? or is two enough? Is there anything else that I might want at this point in the game?

John Schwartz · June 22, 2009, 10:58:19 PM

Quote from: harvey on June 22, 2009, 10:53:45 PM
Hello All, Ok I have a small swarm that I caught a couple of weeks ago. They are currently in a brood box that I borrowed. I bought one brood box and two supers. Now I am looking at buying another brood box and exchanging the frames so that I can give his box back. His is set up for moving bees with the bottom permanently screwed on.

What to buy? One more brood box, yup a bottom board, inner cover and top cover. I am also making a list of stuff as I currently only have a smoker nothing else. I think I could use a jacket and veil, a frame holder? for when I inspect. Do I need another super? or is two enough? Is there anything else that I might want at this point in the game?

Hello :)

* Veil w/hat and gloves should be plenty if you aren't too nervous (with light-colored long sleeve shirt of course).
* Some kind of feeder (for sugar syrup) -- I'd suggest inverted bucket or large jar which you wouldn't have to buy
* You'll want a hive tool
* Handy but not completely necessary is bee brush
* You'll prob want to get 1 brood box and 1 honey super (which you may or may not use) at this point; next year or over the winter you can build/buy more boxes
* You'll want frames of the right size for the brood box and honey super -- I personally would suggest wood/wax frames to start with (rather than plastic)
* Possibly a queen excluder after you do some reading and figure out your methods

Blessings,
John Schwartz

John Schwartz · June 22, 2009, 11:03:07 PM

Harvey, make that *two* brood boxes you'll want to buy. I see you're giving the one box back. :)

harvey · June 22, 2009, 11:14:24 PM

Ok well the new hive equipment I have right now is one deep brood box that I just put ontop of the one that I borrowed and I have two 6-5/8 supers, One more deep brood box should be enough dont' ya think? do you think I should have more than two supers?

next year i want to establish another whole hive so a little extra won't hurt. So far these bee's have been very docile. I don't think I would have a problem with a long sleeve shirt. I went out this evening and checked a feeder that I put out. It is an old chicken waterer. I put stones in it for the bees to stand on so they wouldn't drownd. It was still half full inside but the syrup wasn't coming out to fill the reservoir. I bet there were 50 bees either on the bottle or flying around. They let me bare hand squeeze the bottle and force more syrup out.

Natalie · June 22, 2009, 11:34:31 PM

Sometimes bees stay docile and other times they get more aggressive.
Their attitude can change once they have brood and honey to protect.
I don't want to discourage you but just want to make you aware that the little angels you have today may not be so sweet if you there is a dearth or you drop a frame so it would be a good idea to have some protective gear and a smoker on hand.
I am not sure about your area but most overwinter in 2 deep brood boxes or 3 mediums so I would have at least that many and then 2 or 3 supers, if you can afford more then its a good idea to have some on hand as spares, especially if you plan to increase your hives next year.
Things that you either need or may want to have:
2 brood boxes
3 supers
a screened bottom board with a slide out mite tray or a solid bottom board if you prefer
a hive stand is optional but I use them
an inner cover
outer cover
entrance reducer
mouse guard for winter
smoker
veil
gloves- I use disposable nitrile gloves but they have regular beekeeping gloves
I personally think a jacket is a good idea, you never know what bees you may have down the road or if you go to another beeks house etc.
a couple of hive tools
extra frames- on top of the frames you need for each box and super you purchase
I like a frame grip but its not a requirement, they come in handy though
a bee brush can be useful at times
a frame holder has been useful
shims and excluders are debatable depending on who you talk to
Its always nice to have everything you need so you aren't scrambling, so if you can afford extra equipment as you go along then its nice to have in case you come aross another swarm or you want to make a split.
Just get what you can when you can if you think you need it.
I have a couple of nuc boxes on hand as well.

iddee · June 22, 2009, 11:54:31 PM

Buy all you need, plus one complete hive. There will be a swarm come by and you will use it.

If you don't have it, there will be 5 or 10 swarms land within arm's reach and you won't have a place to put them. ""Murphy's law"" :shock: :-D

Joelel · June 23, 2009, 02:57:03 PM

Quote from: harvey on June 22, 2009, 10:53:45 PM
Hello All, Ok I have a small swarm that I caught a couple of weeks ago. They are currently in a brood box that I borrowed. I bought one brood box and two supers. Now I am looking at buying another brood box and exchanging the frames so that I can give his box back. His is set up for moving bees with the bottom permanently screwed on.

What to buy? One more brood box, yup a bottom board, inner cover and top cover. I am also making a list of stuff as I currently only have a smoker nothing else. I think I could use a jacket and veil, a frame holder? for when I inspect. Do I need another super? or is two enough? Is there anything else that I might want at this point in the game?

Harvey,If you have good bees,you don't need much.We don't wear suits,gloves veils unless the bees are being aggressive. Its hard to hold frames with so called be gloves and hard to see good with a veil and hot in a suit,so I wear shorts. A smoker is good for sometimes, you need some kind of a knife to pry tops off of frames and scrap out stingers. You need a frame holder and a brush or a blower is good or use your mouth. You can brush them or lightly blow them to get them to move. I don't like brushing because you can hurt them. When you clean wax bridging off your frames,you can do it with them in the hive,just blow on them a little and they will go down in between the frames and you can scrap it right off with a Sharp knife. Never be afraid of bees,they know when you are and will attack.Then you need what ever to get the honey,there are different ways. We use queen excluders to keep brood of of supers.Always give your bees room.Make the entrance as small as possable to help the guards. Vent your hives. Don't use Disease or mitt or beetle control unless you have to. Never take honey from the body (brood box).

hankdog1 · June 23, 2009, 05:45:07 PM

Just an idea but migratory tops and bottom boards are cheaper and should be all you need.

harvey · June 23, 2009, 06:38:56 PM

Lots of good help here thanks again. I have ordered some of the stuff yall have brought up. I also have a mann lakes catalog coming so can put together a wish list from there. So far so good. Kinda wish I could have an observation hive to so I could watch them. Not realy but kind of excited at seeing what I will find next week when I open em up. I should have the new brood box by then and as I want to put all the frames from the one i borrowed into the new box I will take or try and take pictures as I do this so I can look at them later. I am hoping to find a lot of the second brood box built up into comb by now. They have been working like crazy. I have started to see small bees already too and the bees have only been in this hive for a little over three weeks! I am not sure if they are baby bees or just small ones that I am seeing? There was capped brood in there a week ago.

Natalie · June 23, 2009, 06:54:44 PM

They sell observation hives on e-bay for cheap money and you can get them from the bee supply places for all different price ranges, some on here build their own.
I hope you get at least a jacket for protection, I hate when people advise others to go without them.
Its not good advice to give someone new.
You have absolutely no idea how your bees will react in any given situation and you cannot go by whether or not you have "good" bees.
These are bees we are talking about after all, they are not household pets that will curl up in your lap for a nap.
Someone on here just posted that they thought they had these wonderful docile bees and didn't wear any protective gear at his last trip to the hive and they turned on him in a heartbeat as soon as he opened the hive.
I don't think anyone is braver, heroic or a better beekeeper because they go without protective gear.
I have a jacket and wear nitrile gloves, do I need them every time I go near the hives? No.
But I do know that there are times that I absolutely need them. I have 11 colonies in 10 hives and they are all different and I respect that.

You are doing well with gathering your equipment and making lists, it helps to get what you can as you go along.
Brushy Mountain does a promo in December where all of the shipping is free on no matter what you order to parts of the country, I think its if you live East of the Mississippi, that is when alot of beeks buy big items for the following spring.
Shipping charges can be is outrageous.