Please help

[Slitherwiz]

Hi my name is Samuel and I am a high school bee keeper. I have had two hive in the past which have both tragically failed making me have to start again. The first hive didn?t grow much over the summer and seemed to be raided by other bees and lost a lot of Resources and didn?t make it. The other hive however was doing well in number and seemed to be very strong but a few months into winter suddenly died. I am wanted to start again this spring but I don?t know what type of bee or method (nuc/package) would be best for me. I live in littleton a bit south of Denver in the suburbs and really want to do well with my bees! So if you have any suggestions for what type of bee is best for me I would love to hear it! and if I should get two packages and only one queen for a stronger start in the spring or have two hives at once?

Thanks!
Samuel

[cao]

Welcome 

My recommendation is to find someone locally that is selling nucs.  Find out if they are treating their hives and you will probably need to follow them.  Ask them lots of questions on how they keep their bees.  I would get two to start with so you could rob resources from one if needed. 

[Bob Wilson]

Slitherwiz. What Cao said. Good advice. ✔️

[amymcg]

Hi Samuel,

Just curious what your varroa management was? How are you monitoring?

[Acebird]

He got two to start and it didn't work.  Better to find out what does work and then he can get multiple hives.  Yes, get advice but don't take all of it.  Advice is contradictory.  The best advice comes from the bees but it is hard to learn their language.  It takes time.

[yes2matt]

Hi my name is Samuel and I am a high school bee keeper. I have had two hive in the past which have both tragically failed making me have to start again. The first hive didn?t grow much over the summer and seemed to be raided by other bees and lost a lot of Resources and didn?t make it. The other hive however was doing well in number and seemed to be very strong but a few months into winter suddenly died. I am wanted to start again this spring but I don?t know what type of bee or method (nuc/package) would be best for me. I live in littleton a bit south of Denver in the suburbs and really want to do well with my bees! So if you have any suggestions for what type of bee is best for me I would love to hear it! and if I should get two packages and only one queen for a stronger start in the spring or have two hives at once?

Thanks!
Samuel

Hi Samuel, welcome to Beemaster!
This forum is a great place to learn all kind of stuff about bees.

I personally would recommend to find a local club or maybe 4-H group (does FFA have beekeeping? probably) and get some direct mentoring. I can't tell ya how much I've learned by just going to other beekeepers yards and paying attention while "helping" any way I can.  Almost any beekeeper would welcome a young man wanting to learn and willing to carry stuff.

If your local club has a "bee school" I would do that for sure, or some of your local producers have "field days" or "open yard days" or similar which they put on for free --- at least around my area they do. Take advantage of that.

If you already have the equipment to keep two hives, I'd consider the possibility to keep my money in my pocket and learn to tr ap a swarm or two. Or, if you meet someone thru the club who would take you along on a swarm call or cut-out, you would learn a TON and might come away with some free bees.

[jalentour]

I agree with yes2matt. 
Your first step should be join a bee club and take a beginner class.
Bee clubs are very useful to beginning beekeepers. 
Good luck with your bees.

[Donovan J]

Welcome! Another high school beek 

[Ben Framed]

Welcome! Another high school beek 

Glad to have you High Schoolers. 
Phillip

[FatherMichael]

Sorry that you lost your hives.

Glad you're not discouraged!  Welcome!  Great guidance above, especially about the bee club and mentoring.

I'd say to start with a nuc.

Control mites.

Don't harvest the first year.  Let them build up very strong.

In the fall be sure that the deep brood chamber box is completely back-filled with stores by feeding them sugar syrup until they run out of space for it or it gets too cold to drink.

Then as winter sets in put a blanket over them and reduce the entrance.

[Ben Framed]

Sorry that you lost your hives.

Glad you're not discouraged!  Welcome!  Great guidance above, especially about the bee club and mentoring.

I'd say to start with a nuc.

Control mites.

Don't harvest the first year.  Let them build up very strong.

In the fall be sure that the deep brood chamber box is completely back-filled with stores by feeding them sugar syrup until they run out of space for it or it gets too cold to drink.

Then as winter sets in put a blanket over them and reduce the entrance.

Great advice, I will gladly second.
Phillip

[Nock]

If you got the gear then I would get two.

[FloridaGardener]

Hi Samuel, Welcome.  I highly recommend this online course:  http://leeming-consulting.com/SchoolNet/courses/beekeeping1.0/index.html

Although you may know some of the info, repetition ties new information to what you already know.
Most people learn best by "grouping" information this way.  That's why "memory palace" techniques work so well.

Best of all, you can read this course on your phone. There are quizzes to check your memory on life cycles in the hive.  That's one of the most important things you can learn, because when you inspect, you can use decision trees to see if everything's doing fine, or if something needs to be changed or helped.

I agree that if you can start with feral bees from a swarm trap or cut out, you are far, far ahead. They are survivors. 
I'm of the opinion that bee colonies are stressed in large bee raising ops. They've been fed synthetic pollen and high fructose corn syrup.  And if your bees were used for pollination, the bees dealt with insecticides, were bounced around highways breathing exhaust and propane forklift fumes...etc.  Do you buy the sickest, mangiest chickens? No.

Start with bees that are local ferals, or from a hobbyist that respects bee health. Cheers!