Bees, Beekeeping and Honey!

  Well, May of 2012 I took the plunge and got into beekeeping: besides the honeymaking, I really needed beehives to keep the orchard, berry bushes and wildflowers pollinated and happy.

  Studied and researched it all winter of 2011 and ordered all the equipment to get assembled in April before the bees arrived May 1.

  I calculated I need 6 hives placed around the woods, so the list of equipment was:

BEE STUFF

Parson’s Gold Apiaries)

  A. HIVES & EQUIPMENT

Beekeepers Master Pollinator Kit

1 - Painted Assembled Telescoping Metal Cover
2 - Painted Assembled Hive Bodies w/frames & Plasticell foundation
1 - Inner Cover
1 - Painted Assembled Bottom Board
1 - Metal 10" Hive Tool
1 - Bee Brush
1 - Smoker 4"x7" Stainless Steel w/shield
2 - 1 lb. of Smoker Fuel
1 - Entrance Feeder
1 - Beekeepers Zipper Veil Suit=Medium
1 - Plastic Helmet
1 - Economy Leather Gloves=Medium
1 - Hive and Honey Bee Book
1 - First Lessons in Beekeeping Book
1 - 1 year subscription to the American Bee Journal
1 - Medications Brochure
M58001 Beekeeper's Master Kit=  $345.45

5 Complete Standard Un-Assembled Hives

B52105 1 CTN 5 Complete Unassembled Hives $325.43

Beginners Honey Production Kit

B38301 6 Hobby Kit #3 $83.93= $503.58

Beeswax Coated Plastic Foundation 8 3/8

F37000 5 10- 8 3/8" Plasticel $15.70= $78.50

Hive Stand

M00695 6 $15.93= $95.58

Hive Entrance Feeder

M00826 5 $7.15= $35.75

Suit, Hat & Veil Combo

V01170 Medium 1 $72.90

Economy Canvas Gloves

M01079 Medium 1 $12.99

Frame Holder

M00319 1 $23.81

Honey Bucket & Filtration Kit

M01354 1 $39.88

Book: Honey Bee Diseases & Pests

M00013 1 $12.95

Book: Increase Essentials

M00023 1 $17.75

Book: The Beekeeper's Handbook

M00094 1 $30.25

Book: The Complete Mead Maker

M00036 1 $23.95

Subtotal $1,618.77 Shipping IL ups ground $276.12

Total $1,894.89

  B. BEES

3 pound bee Box

Package Description: Inside your package you will find:

A Queen Bee in a Queen Cage suspended from the top of your Package.

(The queen and the worker bees are originally from different hives and are separated until they get use to each other's scent.)

Worker bees: Aproximately 10,500 bees for 3lb Package.

Buy 1: $105.00. Buy 6 to 10: $95.00 each

       6=$570.00; 337.67 ship UPS next day air

             907.67

1,894.89 equipment/shipping, ordered/paid= 2/15 arrived =4/16

   907.67 bees/shipping, ordered/paid= 2/15 arrival date=5/1

2,802.56 total

Lol, not a cheap hobby to get started; but expenses are very low from the initial startup, mostly supplies to store all the honey (I trade a lot of it with local Amish farmers for fresh meat, eggs and such).