What Do You Need To Get Started From Scratch?
What Gear Do You Need?
We get a lot of emails from enthusiastic, new beekeepers who want to know what they will need to get started from complete scratch. Even if you’ve had a season under your belt, sometimes it’s nice to see what others are using. Below is a list of items we recommend to get started.
Please note, we have zero affiliation with any of the recommended links.
HIVE
OVERVIEW: Lots of online retailers have deals this time of year, many are great. We recommend purchasing beginners kit that includes most of the items you will need for your bees. The Mann Lake kit has the basics and an assembled hive.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
OVERVIEW: There are many kinds of suits, vented, insulated, simple jackets, and full body suits. We recommend that you start with a full body suit to begin with. This offers the most protection until you get more comfortable down the road and potentially switch to just a jacket. You obviously can decide what works best for you!
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Beekeeper-Protective-Beekeeping-XXXX-Large/dp/B08X1SNN2W/ref=sr_1_12?crid=BBYGWMA4G2VT&keywords=bee+suit&qid=1677003877&sprefix=bee+suit%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-12
BEES
OVERVIEW: There are many places to get your bees. You can purchase, ask a fellow beekeeper, or set up a swarm trap. If you want to get going as quickly as possible, a Nuc or Package is the way to go.
A Nuc (short for nucleus and pronounced “nuke”) is a colony with a queen that has five frames of honey and brood ready to install into your hive. They generally run from $250 to $350 depending on the source.
A Package is a colony of bees with a queen, but no frames, just bees. You simply “dump”them into your hive and they do the rest
There are many places to get your bees, we sell them, but there are others out there who do as well!
LINK: https://pugetsoundbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-PSBA-Suppliers_4.pdf
BOOKS
OVERVIEW: You are gonna need a book. You need to read this book! We found that the Storey’s Guide To Keeping Bees is a really easy and fast read, and gives you the foundations you will need to take care of your bees. We have this book, and revisit it every season!
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Keeping-Honey-Bees/dp/1612129781/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3U12A19PTZQEF&keywords=storeys+guide+to+keeping+honey+bees&qid=1677005426&sprefix=storey%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-1