Newbee here...

[Sniper338]

We currently do not have bees, but are working toward getting ready for 2017...  my wife wanted bees, and i always have, so we got to going on it.  My wife got all the tools, hive, stand, even classes reserved, most everything we need to get started for christmas.  (That wasnt cheap!)

We are in south central texas.  The most loval place i know of sells nucs for $270 each.  From looking around online, that looks HIGH...  do yall reccommend ordering bees online and getting them shipped into us, or just starting with the local source? 

Any good youtube channels i need to watch would be appreciated, any help in pointing me in the right direction would be appreciated.

We are all in kind of people...  i have plenty land, and sources to put hives in various counties around me, we would hope to be very successfull and end up being able to bottle and sell honey, and make it a business.  Long way off, but if its profitable, we dont mind taking it past a hobby...  long way to go though, thats years down the road!

Thanks for any help! 

Ps. Our local place has workshops every weekend to keep learning and beekeep with a group of locals that all learn and work togrther...  pretty neat..

[splitrock]

Welcome to the forum!

How many do you want to start with?

Buying parts and building isn't cheap, and it's time consuming. You may want to look at just buying several single or two story hives come spring, especially if you are thinking about having enough to sell some.

Hope it all works out!

Joel

[Sniper338]

Well i havent learned how many i need to start with, or end up with yet.  Currently we have one hive.  Its one brood box on the bottom, and one small super.  Nothing crazy.  I know ill need to get another super if all goes well this first year, but i plan to buy them as i foresee needing them.  This will be our home hive at our house. 

As far as how many hives we should or could have in one place, i dont know that either...  from what ive seen so far its about $500-600 each hive to buy and set up with bees...

Without experience i cant grasp how much honey one of my hives would usually produce to be sble to find a number of hives i need to work with yet..

[Barhopper]

I believe a new person should always start with two hive if they can afford it. No two hives are the same. It gives you perspective on what's going on.

[BeeMaster2]

Sniper,
$270 for a nuc is more than twice the price of a nuc here in N FL.
Your best bet is to set up swarm traps and catch free bees.
Do a search on this site on swarm traps. Start from the home screen.
Last year I caught about 16 swarms just by keeping traps set.
Jim

[BeeMaster2]

Try this:
Using your single deep hive placed about 6' off the ground,
get some lemon Grass Oil and using a Q-tip, wipe around the entrance and place the q-tip in a sealed baggie and place it in the bottom of the trap.  Be sure to have all frames in the trap with a thin strip of foundation or a waxed strip of wood in the top slot.
Good luck.
Jim

[sc-bee]

 $270 a nuc.... yep they taking you to the woodshed. Should be able to find something more reasonable even if you have to take a little drive and save $100. Setting traps for swarms is fine but I imagine you are going to want bees of some kind before swarm season.
And for swarms in Tx you are in AHB area but so is jim in Florida.... Maybe the swarm trap thing and AHB is an overstated issue???

Yep best to start with two hives because of comparison and being able to rob from one to supply the other if needed as in eggs for a failed queen in one hive (just one example). And as far as equipment unless the supplier is down the road you need it yesterday when swarm season rolls in. So a couple extra supers and needed supplies are in need for one hive. And you need a couple nucs for coming up splits for growth NOW-- to have them when needed or someone calls you about a swarm or you have a swarm. Nucs are an invaluable tools... always have a few available..

You will find plans for a cheap nuc here...
http://www.beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=27006.0

[iddee]

As Jim said, 270 is ridiculous. I am negotiating with a guy now for nucs. He is at 125 and I am arguing about that. I am also getting the wood nuc boxes with them. That brings the actual nuc price down to close to 100 each.

[Sniper338]

Good info to know...  ive been reading and watching videos on it all.  I was already thinking about swarm traps and extra supplies.  We had a swarm last year that would have been easy to catch.  So there are swarms in my area.  The were pretty doscile too, we mowed under them, walked by them..  they are only 5 ft off the ground... 

Where do you get the lemon grass oil from, best place to order?

[iddee]

Put your town in your profile. We have many Texans on here and know many other Texas beeks. We can likely find you some reasonable bees near you.

Google lemongrass oil. It's available every where.

[BobMac]

here's one place there are a lot on line
http://www.bulkapothecary.com/product/essential-oils/pure-therapeutic-grade/lemongrass-essential-oil/
or some use this

http://www.swarmcommander.com/

[jimineycricket]

To get lemongrass oil try your local drugstore or ask your wife to check with her friends who sell essential oils.  (She probably has more than one.)

[iddee]

Local essential oils lemongrass oil.....about 15.00 an ounce

Online lemongrass oil.......about 1.25 an ounce

[Sniper338]

Put your town in your profile. We have many Texans on here and know many other Texas beeks. We can likely find you some reasonable bees near you.

Google lemongrass oil. It's available every where.

Updated profile***

I found a few places closer to be but they are still $270 a nuc...  ill be buying more supplies to be ready for swarm season.  Hard to beat free bees... 


If i start with two hives, and catch some ferel bee swarms, how many hives should i have at each location?  At least two, but after that i asdume its based on performance, if they are thriving in one spot add more hives there as the carrying capacity is higher for that area?

[iddee]

RIVERWALK............I love it. One of my favorite places.

[GSF]

$270 a nuc - that's more than I sell an 8f deep with inner cover, top cover, and solid bottom board. If I was in your place I'd probably buy a package and start from there. Hopefully the Tx beeks can point you in the right direction.