To give prospective beekeepers an idea of what costs to expect when starting beekeeping.

2. Presentations on slideshare:
slideshare.net/rickbledsoe16

3. Types of Hives
Types of Hives
What are your goals?
– small (honey for family & friends)
– sideliner

4. Types of Hives:
– Top Bar Hive

5. Types of Hives:
– Langstroth

7. considerations
– 8 or 10 frame boxes?
– Deep, medium, or shallow?
– Wax or plastic foundation?

8. Build or Buy?
Buy?
– assembled
- saves time
- costs more
Build?
– build it yourself
- cheaper
- more control over quality and design
- what is your time worth?
– compromise: assemble pre-cut kits

9. Compatibility
-- stick with same company for best results
New or used?
New
- disease-free
- can order when you want
- costs more
Used
- can be cheaper
- possibility of pests and
diseases
- worst case scenario:
AMERICAN FOULBROOD

10. Frame assembly jig Hive assembly jig
Air
stapler

22. Getting Honey Bees
There are four ways to begin a colony of
bees.
Start with a swarm.
Start with a package of bees.
Start with a nuc hive.
Start with an established hive.

24. Bait hives
– certain amount
of luck and skill
required
– can't depend on
catching swarm
– Low Cost –

25. Packaged Bees
$100 – $120

26. Nucleus Hives
aka “Nucs”
$150

27. Beekeepers
sometimes sell
established
hives
– about $300 –

28. Feeding
– new packages
– fall

29. Feeding with quart
and half-gallon
mason jars

30. Good
news!
You don't need tons of
equipment your first year.
You can add to your
equipment as you get
more hives or want to
expand.

32. Cut Comb
Honey

33. Crush & Strain
Honey

35. Packaging & Labels