Bees on the Cheap?

[Triple_sod]

On paper keeping bees is a no brainer; you can fit them anywhere, you don’t have to feed them and you get jars and jars of honey every year. The only trouble is the initial cost, the bees themselves are pretty economical but new hives seem to start at about £150, then you need an extractor and all sorts of other equipment. To buy the lot from shops would probably run to a few hundred quid, spare money most people haven’t got.

So I'm wondering if anyone has managed to do it on a budget?

[The-Great-Nothing]

Hi

There were plans for making your own hive in Permaculture magazine (think back issues are available)

I imagine there are some plans on line too. Would be a start. Not sure about the other gear though.

Cheers
Matt

[Ian]

Join your local Bee-keeping Association. People give up bee-keeping for many reasons. My first four boxes of bees were bought for a song from a vet who had developed an allergy to the stings, basicly I kept him in honey until we moved away from the area. People die, people move. Hives of bees become available.

The association will probably have loan equipment, extractors, uncapping knives etc. Best of all will be masses of help, gifts of nucs of bees and people you can talk to, after all you are all bee-keepers! A year of handing someone else's bees under their supervision is not a bad thing.

Start with two hives (various reasons, you will find out later) and don't try to go it alone. Bee-keeping is an arcane knowledge, the skills are not really written in the books but learned over years of handling the bees, but most enjoyable.

P.S. you will get stung, a lot.

[preppingsu]

Join your local association. Mine has a scheme were you get free loan of bees at a specified site while you are training. Then you get to hear of equipment being sold.

Ebay was recccomended!

Also try www.bid4bees.co.uk also reccomended but I haven't yet used it.

Good Luck.

[Ian]

OK Su, let's gang up on him!