# Equipment question



## homesteadpastor (Jan 27, 2014)

I'm looking to get into beekeeping and am putting pen to paper trying to figure out what I'll need for the first year, costs, where to get equipment from, etc. I've seen a number of people offering good companies to shop from but in looking through websites there are several options to choose from.

What is the most standard or commonly used hive size? I believe I want a 10 frame hive but there are different sizes and I want the most commonly used size. I'm also a little confused, I'm assuming a hive is the same as a brood box so if I'm right I would need two hives stacked with at least one super right?

Can someone post a first year list of equipment with ballpark figures so I can see roughly what is needed and the cost involved? That would help out a bunch. Thanks.


----------



## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

i think you might need to tell people how much you want to diy vs buy ready made.

we've been getting ready to start beekeeping and have bought a lot of the stuff we'll need already. but, i've bought more than you'd need to have just one person doing one hive. i've also pretty much bought stuff that is completely ready to go out the box as opposed to trying to make any of my own stuff. we're doing top bar hives too, which has some differences in what my list of must haves is vs other hives.

i do know that some of the sites i've bought from list "starter kits". if you look at those types of packages it might give you an idea of where to start.

i found watching youtube videos has helped us a lot, too. we've watched swarming, harvesting, etc videos. it helped us see what lots of other people actually used while working. there's a lot of wiggle room for what's considered necessary.

all told, i'm pretty sure i've bought everything we might need, except the bees, i've spent somewhere between $1500-$2000. we're doing top bar and that includes bee clothes for 4 people, and 3 hives, books/dvd, smoker/fuel, harvesting hive tools, and honey extraction equipment and some other things. i think my spending has been much higher than the minimum costs. but, for a few different reasons that were just about our family needs, not at all about beekeeping needs, this was the best way for my family to get through getting set-up to start out and make a go of it.


----------



## homesteadpastor (Jan 27, 2014)

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the assembled equipment is not much more than not assembled so instead of taking the time to put things together like the hives and frames I would opt for assembled. I also think the medium supers is what I would want so the weight is not so much making it easier to move.

I'm not planning to buy extraction equipment, at least not for the first year so I don't need to worry about that cost.

I too have gone through several YouTube videos and have a book on beekeeping in addition to reading through the forum posts. Lots of good information.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My first year I went with two colonies as suggested at a bee club meeting I attended. 
*So the first year* 
(1. I had 4 10 frame Langstroth deeps, bottom board intercover andf outer covers. 
(2. 40 frames with real bees wax foundation.
(3. spool of wire for frames foundation support. wire crimp tool
(4. Smoker
(5. Hive tool 
(6. helmet with veil. Pig skin gloves from a hardware store.

Made my own feeders from free pickle/pepper/olives jars from a Pizza joint.





Also made some from free 2 gallon pails from a bakery, which we didn't use often as that was a lot of syrup to make all at once. 




Second year made screen bottom boards of my own. also made my own hive bodies and intercover. 
Made the double screen for splitting colonies also 



After all these years I still have never bought a suit. I just wear a long sleeve dress shirt light color white/blue or tan. I do wear sleeve garters cause the bees like to go in those sleeve slits and then get mad when they get pinched.

 Al


----------



## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

I started with top bar hives because the cost of Langstroth hives were so high. I spent maybe $300. on my suit, smoker, wood for the hive I built and a package of bees. If you're just doing it for family this is the way to go!

I have been thinking of experimenting with a langstroth. I did some research and decided that if I go ahead it will definitely be with 8 frame mediums because of the weight issue since I have back issues. Everyone (who's lucky) gets older eventually and you don't want to get stuck with boxes you can't lift.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

My advice will be a bit different. We have Africanized honey bees here in Texas. Buy a ventilated bee suit...because we also have Summer here. Wear your bee suit every time. If your hive raises a queen to replace the old one(they sometimes do it frequently) and she mates with an Africanized drone your hive can get aggressive very quickly. 

Per hive you will need:

Screened bottom board, 2 10 frame deep hive bodies(brood chamber), 10 frames for each hive body, a top...either migratory or inner cover with telescoping cover. The migratory or 'flat' top is cheaper and I like them better. 

Do not buy a queen excluder and please do yourself a favor and do not get plastic foundation. I've been ripping that stuff out of students hives all year.

You will also need a smoker. I normally just use a flat screwdriver, so I don't bother with hive tools. If you are starting with a package of bees you will need a sheet of foundation for each of the frames. If you are starting out with a nuc you can 'checkerboard' your full frames with your empty frames and let the bees fill the empty frames.

This list of equipment is just a bare minimum. You will eventually need honey supers and if you are like me.....more miscellaneous stuff than you ever imagined


----------



## homesteadpastor (Jan 27, 2014)

What's wrong with using plastic foundation?


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Plastic is for the bee keeper the bees don't care for the stuff with out you doing extra work.
To get them to draw it out good you need to paint it with bees wax and/or spray it with syrup often. It is great stuff once drawn out and it doesn't need any support wire but. When only 4 frames of 10 are only 50% drawn out in 45 days that is just to slow.

 Al


----------



## robsdak (Feb 2, 2014)

alleyyooper said:


> Plastic is for the bee keeper the bees don't care for the stuff with out you doing extra work.
> To get them to draw it out good you need to paint it with bees wax and/or spray it with syrup often. It is great stuff once drawn out and it doesn't need any support wire but. When only 4 frames of 10 are only 50% drawn out in 45 days that is just to slow.
> 
> Al


i would disagree. i have it in my hive and the bees love it. granted i am only a 1 hive show. i just harvested 6 frames 8/25/14 that were harvested 7/12/14. i thought the 7/12 would be the last i got, but went and checking on them i got a second harvest. i left 2 for them. could it be different parts of the country? i am in the Florida Panhandle and plant for the bees, garden and flowers. i also do the crush and strain method.


----------



## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

Plastic frames?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSZssRWAtv8&index=12&list=PLdVmuwxOQbuS5xPwvaAThIdozRxwFeoFP


----------



## Finally Home (Oct 13, 2013)

Buffy in Dallas said:


> Plastic frames?
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSZssRWAtv8&index=12&list=PLdVmuwxOQbuS5xPwvaAThIdozRxwFeoFP


I believe the question was about plastic foundation??? 

Pierco foundation comes coated with wax. Never had a problem with them drawing it out. When comb is old you can just scrape it off and brush a lil melted wax back on. Don't need to replace/buy more. Just my opion. I only use pure wax foundation for honeycomb frames.


----------



## cotton45c (Jun 23, 2014)

Finally Home said:


> I believe the question was about plastic foundation???
> 
> Pierco foundation comes coated with wax. Never had a problem with them drawing it out. When comb is old you can just scrape it off and brush a lil melted wax back on. Don't need to replace/buy more. Just my opion. I only use pure wax foundation for honeycomb frames.



been useing the plastic foundation for near 20 years without any troubles.
is all i use in the broods and 6 5/8 supers.


----------



## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Last month I joined a local bee club and several of the members are very nearly commercial keepers. Well come to find out one of them lives just down the road from me. He is a very nice elderly man and through a good friend of mine he has made an open invitation to visit one of his bee yards!

I am leaning towards building and using the "top bar" hive. I realize this is "not a real hive" in the opinion of some beekeepers, but it is popular with several long time members of the local club and there doesn't seem to be any local animosity towards the top bar guys. One individual is very nearly a commercial honey producer and has switched to top bars for about half of his hives as an experiment. At the last meeting he told the club the top bar hives have performed nearly as well as the traditional hives and are much easier to work with and are far less expensive. You can I plan on bending his ear over the winter months. 

To the OP.... My club members said that companies try to sell beginners far too much equipment.

I would like extracted honey for my personal use, and am looking at DIY extractor plans. I have fabrications skills and toolage so thats money saved. Several local friends are as interested as i am in this exciting and rewarding activity, so we all will be learning at the same time. The best part is this kindly, elderly gentleman is nearing the end of his career as a local commercial operator and told my buddy he would enjoy sharing his experience and ideas with our little group!!


----------



## BohemianWaxwing (Sep 13, 2014)

I thought I'd throw in one more word for top-bar bee hives. I've got three of them and started with them because I didn't need a lot of equipment to get started (I like doing things simply). I've found they're hardly any trouble at all and I harvest what I feel like harvesting and enjoy watching the bees do their thing. No extractors, piles of frames, tools, etc. You should check out www.backyardhive.com.

I've got a buddy who keeps his bees in Langstroth hives but basically operates them like a "frame bar" hive and no foundation and all cut-comb. Cuts down a lot on the "chores".


----------

