New at it all...

[hellbenthoneybee]

Hi just joined this forum, really it's the first forum I've ever joined...   I am interested in learning more about bees and beekeeping, I am considering getting started with a hive, I really am truely novice, so any advice would be welcome. I live near the cape in Massachusetts and have a vegatable garden and lots of flowers in the warm seasons. Also I live right near cranberry bogs so I think the bees will have enough to eat. 

[buzzbee]

Ouch,ouch .#@%* bees!!!

No,just kidding,welcome to the forums. you will have lots of help here. Stop often,and if youhave a good internet connection,stop by the voice chat section and check out the ventrilo voice chat. Also at the bottom of the main page there is a who's online  link to instant ventrilo!!

[Cindi]

HBHoneybee, welcome to our forums, your handle is too long to type, hee, hee,  ;) :) :) -- hope you don't mind if I shortened it, take no offence, I just like to type fast.  So you want to get some bees, well this is the best place for you to learn.  We have so many that haven't got their first bees yet, ones that have kept bees all their lives, and many that are in the first years too.  You can ask all your questions, ask lots, you will get great and wonderful responses.  Once you get in with the bees, you will never believe the love that you will have for them, you will be under their spell, as we all are, welcome to our forum, tell us more about yourself when you have some time, we love to hear what everyone is up to, we are an interested and caring group of friendly people.  Have a beautiful and wonderfully great day, with lots more to come.  Cindi

[indypartridge]

Hello and Welcome!

This is a great place to learn about bees. I use the search function a lot since many times my questions have already been discussed and then I don't have to wait for an answer. The tutorials on the main Beemaster page are one of the first things I ever read about keeping bees.

I also encourage you to get connected with a local beekeeping club:
http://www.massbee.org/links.shtml
Some of them offer beginner classes, and clubs are great places to find a mentor. As much as you can learn on the Internet; nothing beats having a mentor nearby who can guide you with respect to what works best in your particular area.