bought my bees from a small cell beekeeper...Sam Comfort of
www.anarchyapiaries.org Treatment free. He has several hundred hives up and down the E coast. Bought mine in Vero Beach, FL. I bought 2 pkgs. Put one in a Langs (no foundation but a frame of honey from the seller, also foundationless) and one in a TBH with 2 frames of comb.
Big red ants got into TBH and they ended up leaving. Just have one hive and it seems to be doing OK. One deep full of comb mostly brood. They are working on a medium super that I will consider brood chamber if they want it for that. Hope to put another medium super on in a week or two. That will be theirs also. Next medium super can be taken from for us. Would rather feed them their own honey if it becomes necessary.
My yard looks like a minefield (armadillo) and nothing but weeds. I use no herbicides or pesticides. Looks are not what I'm after. I want the animals, reptiles and insects that inhabit my little part of the "jungle" to be comfortable. And to do that they need to be able to eat what ever it is they eat. I just don't allow the big spiders to come inside.