THE LITTLE GOLDEN FOLK !
(Page 9 of 10)
March/April 1974
By Bill Benintente
DO IT!
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Did that last section make your mouth water? Good! You still have time to prepare your homestead for one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences in animal husbandry. Start right now, and by the end of the season you'll be-as I am-a firm friend of the little golden folk.
THE COST OF BEEKEEPING
The following list includes only what you really need to start off one colony. I've omitted surplus-honey supers (which you can make yourself on the pattern of your store-bought beehive, or buy-with 10 frames but minus the beeswax foundation-for about $7.00 each).
(These prices are as of about one year ago . . . don't be surprised if they've risen somewhat since that time. -MOTHER. )
A beginner's outfit consisting of the above items can be bought in separate pieces or in money-saving kit form. Remember when you order by mail that you pay the transportation charges, and add the appropriate amount to your payment (any exc0ess will be refunded).
The following firms have a full range of packaged bees and beekeeping supplies (Kelley seems to be the less expensive of the two):
The Walter T. Kelley Co.
Clarkson, Kentucky 42726
The A. I. Root Co.
Medina, Ohio 44256
Bees can also be obtained from:
Sunstream Supply Co.
P.O. Box 484
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230
Sears and Montgomery Ward supply beekeeping equipment, but in my opinion their prices are higher than you should have to pay.
You may find a friendly farmer or beekeeper nearby who's willing to sell you whatever you need. Just make sure you're not paying more than you would for new items . . . and, if you buy bees locally, see that the colony is healthy. (The A.I. Root Company's handbook Starting Right With Bees advises against stacking your apiary this way and adds that--if you do so--you should insist on a certificate of health from the state bee inspector's office.- MOTHER.)
THE BEEKEEPER'S BOOKSHELF
There's no better reading for the beginner with bees than the free catalogs sent on request by suppliers of apiary equipment. You can learn almost as much about the business from one of these funky brochures as from a textbook.
The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250) is another valuable source of knowledge. I wrote them for information on bee culture and was surprised one morning to find in the mail a thick copy of Agricultural Handbook No. 335, Beekeeping in
The United States. This 147-page book cost me nothing, is officially priced at $1.50 and is easily worth $5.00 or more. The department is notoriously slow at answering letters, but in this case their reply came before I got catalogs from the commercial suppliers I had written to . . . and the USDA hadn't even the incentive of future sales!
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