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Author Topic: New to Forum  (Read 1983 times)

Offline Vance G

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New to Forum
« on: January 06, 2011, 11:07:04 pm »
Hello all.  I think I was born wanting to be a beekeeper but I was in my mid twenties before I got there.  I started out with a dozen hives and expanded to 300 in six years at which time my wife divorced me and yes there was a correlation!.  I have mourned for my bees now for close to thirty years and have decided to get a couple hives to play with this spring.  I kept bee's before varroa mites and other such beasties were around to plague the beekeeper.  I need to get smart on that end of the management and find a place to get a couple packages.  I hung on to enough equipment to run those two hives since 1984!  I even have a 25 pound case of foundation with the plastic inner layer.  Duragilt??  I am disabled now and can't see myself expanding again, but I do need to know where to reasonably purchase woodware and medical stuff.  If that can't be asked here, a kind soul might PM me with a hint.  Thanks.  Vance    BTW  I am now in Great Falls Montana.   I think it will be much easier to winter bees here than I experienced in North Dakota.  It is rarely six weeks between possible flight days here. 

Offline hardwood

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2011, 11:13:38 pm »
Welcome Vance! For advice like where to get supplies etc and different management techniques it really helps to know your location. Can you add it to your profile? Most of the big suppliers are still around and you can order from them via the internet now days...cool huh?

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline AllenF

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2011, 11:15:27 pm »
6 to 300.   Wow.  Welcome.  There has been a lot of changes with the mites but there is a lot of learning on this forum.  


Offline Vance G

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2011, 12:14:46 am »
I am in Great Falls Montana and have a place fifteen miles out of town to put the hives.  I figure if they are any closer I will wear out the covers.  How do you get package bees shipped these days?  Parcel post was always a long trip and lots of mortality.  Is it even available anymore?

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2011, 01:24:30 am »
Western Bee Supply would be a good place to get equipment.  The shipping will be a lot cheaper.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline AllenF

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2011, 02:49:32 pm »
I don't remember, but I don't think Western sell packages, but they are a great place for hive boxes and frames.   But give them a call, they might sell or have a pick up day for packages or at least have a list of bee keepers in your area that sell bees.   And yes, people do ship packages, just mind where you buy them from to keep the ship time down and what time of the year they ship them.   Summer heat kills them. 

Offline hardwood

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2011, 03:02:35 pm »
Have you looked into joining your local beekeeping club? I'm sure they'd know of a local bee supplier.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Vance G

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Re: New to Forum
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2011, 07:53:52 pm »
Thanks that is all good advice.  I just thought about seeing if I can find registered yard locations on the internet and that should tell me how many small timers are around that may know where to get the bees I want.   I have a call in to the local bee inspector too and she will know also. 

 

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