Getting Ready for Your Bees
compiled by Donald Burger, Attorney at Law

Four weeks before bee pick up:

_____ Order hives and equipment.

_____ Buy two bags of Quikrete and a mixing tray for same.

_____ Buy two 2 x 4's for foundation frames.

_____ Buy lattice materials for beeyard fence

_____ Buy at least four foam paint brushes (two inch size) to paint hives.

_____ Buy a two inch nylon paintbrush for feeding package bees.

_____ Buy the paint for your hives.

_____ Build and paint hives.

_____ Glue and nail the frames.

_____ Begin to think about decision about surface of beeyard: grass or mulch.

Two to three weeks before bee pick up:

_____ Pour concrete foundations for hives.

_____ Fence in the beeyard.

_____ Make final decision about surface of beeyard: grass or mulch.

_____ Buy and spread the mulch for beeyard

_____ Finish up building and painting hives.

_____ Finish up gluing and nailing the frames.

One week before bee pick up:

_____ Place hive stand, Rossman SHB trap, one deep, inner cover, telescoping cover, Boardman feeder with empty jar and fully closed entrance reducer in the beeyard at its permanent location.

_____ Practice lighting smoker.

One day before bee pick up:

_____ Make up two gallons of 1:1 sugar syrup and bottle in one quart jars.

Just before leaving to pick up bees:

_____ Bring receipt or confirmation as to bee order.

_____ Bring clean nylon brush to brush off stray bees.

_____ Bring newspaper-lined cardboard box(es) of sufficient size to hold the package(s).

Things to take with you to the beeyard to hive your bees:

_____ Small pen knife.

_____ Ice pick or small nail for queen candy.

_____ Jar of 1:1 sugar syrup with Boardman jar lid in place.

_____ Package of bees.

Last revised March 12, 2008

mail comments to burger@burger.com

[Go Back to My Beekeeping Page]

[Go Back to My Home Page]