i'm from virginia too

[randydrivesabus]

and i might be interested in beekeeping. it doesn't look too difficult and i live way out in the sticks. i grow vegetables that i sell at a farmers market and would like to also sell honey.
so of course i have some questions of a general nature....
i saw some place selling hive kits made of polystyrene. anyone have any experience with that? wouldn't it blow away in a strong wind?
for that matter wouldn't wooden hives do that too? it gets very windy here.
it also seems that you can buy a kit for what it would cost to build it yourself with lumber/plywood being so high.

well maybe thats enough for the first post here.
thanks John for having this website and forum.

[thegolfpsycho]

I wouldn't buy a kit.  Read a little bit about getting started and get the basics.  Kits include alot of stuff, that I have chosen not to use.  I buy KD boxes and frames and assemble them.  I've never tried the polystyrene equpment, but some people in colder climates swear by them.  I usually weigh down my hives with some bricks or blocks, and the bees glue everything together.

You need to make a few decisions.  What size equipment to use.  Full deeps are very heavy, but with mediums you need more equipment.  What will be your goal in keeping bees.  Will you extract, cut comb, or make sections?  What will be your approach for pest and disease management.   There are many choices in this area and not all of them work all the time.  How much gear will you need?  Eventually, your going to get stung.  Some people wear full body armor, and depending on the route you take, you can spend a good portion of your clothing allowance on a bee suit.  All these things and many more need some thought.  

The days of putting a colony or 2 of bees in the back yard and forgetting about them are long gone

[Michael Bush]

If you want to keep the costs down and you don't mind a little woodworking, do some research on top bar hives.   I run all small cell foundation (or none) in eight frame medium boxes.  The eight frame boxes are lighter than ten frame and the mediums are lighter than deeps.

Full of honey:
10 frame deep 90 pounds
10 frame medium 60 pounds
8 frame medium 48 pounds.

Also try a search on "beginners" or "begining" here and you'll find a lot of discussion.

[Flower of Eden]

I'm just starting too. I bought the kit. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get it together.  Just where are you in Va. I am on the Eastern Shore.

[randydrivesabus]

i am in southwest virginia. where are you going to get bees from?