# All the used bee keeping supplies I need



## DonofPaw (Apr 6, 2010)

Hello everyone I was wondering if I could get a list of all the bee keeping supplies I should ask for. I k ow an old couple who will sell me cheaply all the supplies I need to get started if I give them a list. The equipment has been sitig in a barn for many years unused. What should my equipment list look like if I want to start at a hobby level and maybe move to hobby sales level?

Thanks,
don


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

Advice for Beginner Beekeepers

Beekeeping Starter Kit - Search


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

First thing needed is a location. What I need up here in the north is far different than what is needed in the south and the deep south is even more different.

 Al


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## DonofPaw (Apr 6, 2010)

Hello thanks for the reply, I live in Mass zone 6A.

I'm having a hard time figuring all this out as the terminolgy the sellers are using is a bit different from evcerything I research, which also has some variation! 

Can you help me make sense of what she has told me she has for equipmen?

Email Exerpt:

So - here is what it is looking like. There are brood and honey boxes, almost all have a full compliment of frames. There are 10 frames per box, and it looks like there will be at least eight honeys and 14 broods. I will be honest - most are in solid condition - some need a coat of paint. The frames do not have foundations in them, and some of them have seen squirrel chewing. I went through the ones that are here today and mixed and matched to fill boxes.

We talked to a couple of folks down here that work bees and got an idea of prices... Used boxes are going for around $3-$5 in great condition. I would call these "good". Used frames are going for $.50 per. We could probably put something together for $6 on the broods (w/all 10 frames) and $4 on the honeys (also with frames). There are boards, dividers, and all sorts of stuff.

What else would I need to make these hive setups complete, besides veil and smoker?

Any help would be very appreciated.
Don


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

DonofPaw said:


> What else would I need to make these hive setups complete, besides veil and smoker?
> Don


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absence, some wax foundation to fill the supers. You're also need a good hive tool and 
the most important ingredient will be *THE BEES*!!! And as Al pointed out; a place 
to set the hives up.......out of the wind, but not in a low lying area that will hold damp 
and fog. A south facing slope with good access, but out of the way of normal traffic; 
and preferably out of sight of mischief makers or those so-called persons that think 
that because it's hunting season and they haven't found Bambi in their sights, 
that your hives will make-do for target practice.


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## DonofPaw (Apr 6, 2010)

Thanks for the info, are wax foundations interchangable? Meaning could I just purchase them from an online suplier for a reasonable rate? 

Would the prices she mentioned be a don't pass this up kind of deal? It seems that hives are in the 200-300 range new, or am I wrong on this?

Thanks,
Don


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

DonofPaw said:


> Thanks for the info, are wax foundations interchangable? Meaning could I just purchase them from an online suplier for a reasonable rate?
> 
> Would the prices she mentioned be a don't pass this up kind of deal? It seems that hives are in the 200-300 range new, or am I wrong on this?
> 
> ...


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meaning that it kind of depends on what you are aiming to accomplish with your 
beekeeping endeavor. By-and-large, the answer to your question of: Are they 
interchangeble is NO. But the answer to can you purchase what is needed from an 
on-line dealer is YES. Walter T. Kelly Co is an excellent place to help get you started....
there are many others as well. Are you interested in producing extracted honey? 
If so, then you might want to consider getting either embedded wire foundation 
which will tend to reinforce the comb or a plastic based center that has been coated in beeswax.....
Costs are more, but it tends to last longer. Some colonies will work them well......
while others depending on the nectar flow.....well....that's just some of the 'joys' of 
finding it out for yourself. Each colony has it's own peculiarities and those qualities 
will change as time goes on. Best to have at least 2 colonies to start with; then you 
can compare them to their neighbor and also you can 'borrow' a frame of brood or 
honey if the other is lacking. If you're wanting to start out slowly and get a 'specialty' 
product, consider comb or cut-comb honey. The market pays the most for such a 
high quality food item. The foundation used for such, is placed in the smaller supers 
and does not have anything in them but pure beeswax.

Regarding the prices on the items mentioned. Depends again on a multitude of factors, 
not the least of which is perhaps the most important question that needs to be asked: 
*Have they ever had American foulbrood?* 
That 'used' to be where in the past, I'd turn around and quickly leave if the answer was yes. 
However, a lot has changed over the years. We've got medications now, that can knock 
it out such that you couldn't tell that a hive ever had it. We have also had to deal with 
hive beetles, various types of mites and now CCD; (colony collapse disorder)......
things that I never had when starting in bees over 40 yrs ago. Personally, the prices seem 
good on the surface, but check around and compare; don't *bee* afraid to 
ask questions.....that's how we all learn together. Prices for a live colony of bees in good condition 
strength-wise and with 2 deeps and a couple shallow supers range across the country 
from around $150 up to and over $300 and that's in used equipment.....
remember, the bees are the expense part because they're scarce.


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