Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Beginner Beekeepers - 4 Ways To Get Honey Bees

As a beginner beekeeper, there are several ways
to get bees. This article looks at the advantages
and disadvantages of each way of getting your
honey bees.

1. Get a Swarm

This can be a fun way to get bees, and has the
main advantage that it is free. You can just put
your name down on a swarm list with your local
beekeeping association, which will often give
preference to beginner beekeepers. Provided you
have the help of an experienced beekeeper, a
swarm is easily collected and placed in your
hive, and you have a ready made colony.

But there are some disadvantages with this method
of getting bees. It is very unpredictable - you
never know quite when you will get a swarm, and
there will often be other people on the list also
waiting for a swarm. Because there is no brood,
you have no way of judging how good the queen
will be, and swarms will often need requeened as
soon as possible.

Equally, you have no way of knowing the disease
status or temperament of the bees in a swarm, as
its origin is unknown. It is also unlikely that
you will get honey in your first year, although
this does depend on the size of the swarm, and
the time of year - the earlier the better.

2. Package Bees

Package bees consist of 2 to 3 lbs of loose bees
and a queen in a separate cage, all in a
specially designed box that can be sent through
the mail. There will also be a can of sugar syrup
for feeding during transit. Apart from a swarm,
this is the cheapest way to buy bees. Because of
the strain of transport, the bees can sometimes
be difficult to introduce to the hive (especially
if the weather is bad), but generally this is a
relatively easy way to start beekeeping.

The drawback is that there is no brood, so no way
to assess the queen. No brood also means that it
will take longer for the bees to get properly
established and build up in numbers. This may
mean no honey in the first year, but again will
depend on how early you get your bees and the
nectar flow in your area.

3. Nucleus colony

A nucleus colony (or 'nuc') is just a small
temporary hive, usually containing 4 or 5 brood
frames. It will contain a working queen, about
10,000 bees and plenty of brood, honey and
pollen. You will usually collect your nuc
locally, so the bees will definitely be suited to
your area - a real advantage.

The queen is a nuc is usually new, and you will
be able to see by looking at the brood just how
productive the queen is. By transferring this
into your beehive, your bees should get off to a
great start, and you should have a good chance of
honey in your first year.

The main disadvantage is, because you are buying
an established colony (albeit a small one) this
is a more expensive way to get started than just
getting loose bees.

4. Fully established colony

Buying an existing colony is the most expensive
option, although remember that you will not need
to buy a new hive. The main advantage of this is
that you will hit the ground running. The colony
will already be fully established, with a full
box of brood and stores, so you are much more
likely to get honey in the first season.

Apart from the cost, there can potentially be
problems with disease, and the queen will
probably be older so may be reaching the end of
her productive life. Also, as the hive is used it
may need replacement parts sooner. If you do
decide to go down this route, get an experienced
beekeeper to check out the colony for any
problems before you buy.

----------------------------------------------------
Val Wilson is passionate about all things
beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby
in so many ways, so if you would like more
information about how to start beekeeping, and
produce your own honey, go to
http://www.bestbeekeeping.com and sign up for the
FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

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