Starting a new hive
I've been lurking here since the fall because I want to get into bee keeping and was hoping for some helpful hints. I'm hoping you all don't mind giving a bit of advice to a raw beginner!
A friend of mine has a lot of old bee boxes which haven't been used for years. I was thinking of cleaning one up rather than buying a new one --- I'm trying to get started as cheaply as possible. I realize that old hives may carry diseases, though, so I want to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot. Do you think it's okay to reuse old hives which haven't had inhabitants for several years? If so, should I clean them with soapy, bleachy water? Is it worth putting on a clean coat of paint?
I'm also trying to figure out what are the bare bones supplies I need to buy. I helped another neighbor extract his honey last year, so I figure I need a veil and a smoker at the least. Is there anything else I need immediately to get started? I've explored various bee keeping supplies websites, and I know there are tons of tools to pry hives apart, special rags to burn in the smoker, uncapping knives, etc --- but we got away with an electric knife and old cotton t-shirts. What else am I missing?
Finally, an recommendations on where to buy my starter bees? And when? I'm in zone 6 with a frost free date of May 10.
Thanks so much!
--- http://www.waldeneffect.org
A friend of mine has a lot of old bee boxes which haven't been used for years. I was thinking of cleaning one up rather than buying a new one --- I'm trying to get started as cheaply as possible. I realize that old hives may carry diseases, though, so I want to make sure I'm not shooting myself in the foot. Do you think it's okay to reuse old hives which haven't had inhabitants for several years? If so, should I clean them with soapy, bleachy water? Is it worth putting on a clean coat of paint?
I'm also trying to figure out what are the bare bones supplies I need to buy. I helped another neighbor extract his honey last year, so I figure I need a veil and a smoker at the least. Is there anything else I need immediately to get started? I've explored various bee keeping supplies websites, and I know there are tons of tools to pry hives apart, special rags to burn in the smoker, uncapping knives, etc --- but we got away with an electric knife and old cotton t-shirts. What else am I missing?
Finally, an recommendations on where to buy my starter bees? And when? I'm in zone 6 with a frost free date of May 10.
Thanks so much!
--- http://www.waldeneffect.org