[tsnyder88]

I am new to this whole process and have a million questions but first and foremost what is the best way to go about starting to get my hives and bees. Is it a good idea to buy existing hives (hive, bees and queen) from someone who is downsizing or going out of business. Is there a lot of risk to the bees and queen in moving the hives a fairly large distance and change in altitude?

 

[Iddee]

Moving bees is no problem. Buying established hives should only be done from someone you know and trust, that you can go back to with any problems you may have. Package bees and nucs from reputable dealers are best if you don't know anything about the seller.

 

[dogsoldier13]

i too,am a newbee,this being my second summer,when i decided to get into bee's,i took a 8 week course with the local community college,with the basics under my belt,i bought 2 hive body kits and 2 super kits,i put them together,they came with the crappy,flimsy foundation,i took one hive to a local bee guy and he traded me 5 frames from a nuc with honey,brood and queen,this hive built up fast,i then ordered a package of bee's from a reputable place in georgia,the package came and i installed it as i had learned to,this hive started out strong,but soon began to show signs of weakening,within 2 weeks time this hive was dead,ravaged by wax moths and small hive beetles,the other hive was running at full strength,it is still my best hive,i have 3 now. lots of things can go wrong,and i believe a poor location choice may have played a part in failure,but the strong hive was in the same location 20 ft away,now i think the local bees are stronger and climatized to this area,i think buying local bees are best,andbuilt comb is best in empty supers,the bees jump all over it,iddee tells me from the pics that i may have starved them also,being ignorant to honey flows and dearths would explain my failure further,i have since moved my bees to full sun and they seem much happier,i keep food and syrup available as they need it and i try to read as much as possible.this forum is the best ive seen for newbees.im learning alot.good luck and remember,buy local!

 

[The Beekeeper]

My suggestion when buying honey bees for the first time is to order them when you have bought all your beekeeping material and always order them in advance.

And always order from a well established company or person so you can always ask for advice when you need help.