Getting started finally

[Leary Sink]

I picked up some old stuff today from a friend of mine to start 5 hives this spring.Im tickled to death to get it and the price was right.
He even has a extractor still new in the box for me.
I had planned on buying two new hives to start with, but now I have extra room if I can get any feral swarms.
I will start cleaning them up to prepare them for painting and getting ready for the spring when I get some bees.

My friend lost all his bees a couple years ago when the area he lived in got sprayed for mosquitoes heavily and due to lower back disc surgery and complications he never got started again.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me but Im looking forward to it. I think I will call my first hive my "Sandbar Bees" since I live on the Outer Banks.

[BrentX]

Congratulations.  Sounds like you are off to a good start with the equipment.  With those warm outer banks winters you may get the bonus of a long nectar flow. 

Get at least a couple of nucs on order from a local bee supplier immediately. The available bees tend to get spoken for quickly.  You may be able trap some local bees but that opportunity wont come around until later in the season, and I would not count on it for those first hives.

[ORoedel]

Tell your friend about the "Bremer Lagerbeute", it is an horizontal hive, very sophisticated! Mr. Bremer was hit in WWII and could'nt carry weight an more, so he invited this hive for an easier beekeeping.

will post the photo and web link to "photos"...