What type of hive?

[kkipp9]

I am reading my way through some books and the interweb.  I am still trying to decide on what type of hive.  Top Bar or Langstroth.  All mediums or mixed deeps and mediums.  Foundation or no foundation.  Full of questions.  I am going to my first club meeting in a couple of weeks.  We live in central Pennsylvania.   Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Acebird]

Do you want beekeeping to be easy and fun or just another challenge like work?

[kkipp9]

Easy and fun.  Selling honey would be nice but most will probably just be used for personal use and friends.  I love mead.

[Acebird]

OK easy would be Lang.  Honey producing would be Lang.  The number of people that could give you help would be Lang simply by the shear numbers of Langs in this country.

Now mead ... my brother couldn't give away my mead fast enough when we went to Canada acting so proud like he made it himself.  He was single at the time so I forgave him for that.

[kkipp9]

I am leaning more twas the lang.  There is just so much to learn.  Hoping that the books will help some.  Beekeping for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping. 

Now onto sizes and foundation. 

Thank you.

[Acebird]

Well I am up in my years so it is all mediums for me.  If you are a young wiper snapper you can do all deeps.  If you are not commercial or don't aspire to be one you will do yourself a favor to be all the same size equipment.  If you should decide that you want to be the next brother Adams then you can mix and match.

[Maggiesdad]

Heh- Top Bars!

Actually, do some of everything... you'll need multiple hives anyway, sell what you don't like and you'll have formed your own opinions on what's best for you.
oh -don't bother with Warres, save that for later. LOL 

[kkipp9]

Multiple hives?  Right now I am just planning on one for the first year while I learn.  I want to keep it small and easy. 

[Acebird]

There are a whole lot of experienced beekeepers that will try to convince you to have more than one hive and I am not saying there aren't advantages.  I started with one and I don't regret it.  Who is to say you are going to like these stinging buggers?  Anyway one gives you a taste without breaking the bank.  The problem is with only one you are limited on what you can do in an emergency.  And to that I say, there is always next year.

[cao]

 As far as all mediums verses mixed deeps and mediums, Just from my experience, I can see more advantages with using all mediums.  When I bought my first nucs, the beek only had 5 frame deeps so I started with mixed boxes.  Call me a glutton for punishment, I even have some shallows that I use.  I actually like them as much or maybe more than the mediums.  It would be MUCH easier to use the same size box for your bees.  If it is deeps or mediums or shallows, that is your choice.  The advantage with mediums is that they are the most common size for someone to use if they are using only one size.  I am the type of person that wants to try everything for myself and make my own choice.  I make most of my equipment so I'm not limited. 

Foundation is a matter of personal preference.  When I started 3 years ago, I was going to go completely foundationless.  The bees changed my mind after cross combing half of a super between inspections.  I now have mostly wax foundation, some foundationless and this year I bought some plastic foundation to try.  I think that most beeks will agree that the bees draw foundationless frames the fastest(the most natural).  Although they will work with wax or plastic too.  My advise would be to use wax foundation to start with.  If you want to try foundationless or the plastic, try it a little at a time after you are more comfortable with your bees. 

No matter how much reading that you do, There is no better teacher than your bees.  If you need more to read, Michael Bush's website was in valueable to me starting out.

[BeeMaster2]

I recommend all 8 frame medium hive. If I was starting out. That is all I would build.

[KeyLargoBees]

As a beginning Hobbyist sticking to one size is probably the most economical if you don't do your own wooden ware....I however decided to be difficult  after JP inspired me and I decided I wanted to do some removals so I use both sizes....just because if you ever do any removals (and most wont) and want to save comb depending on hive orientation sometimes the combs just fit better into a deep frame.

[kkipp9]

I appreciate all of the advice.  I am starting to get to the point of finalizing decisions and ordering  things. 

First and foremost is a package of bees.  I was going to look at the different breeds, but Italian  seems to be the most predominant  so I will go with them. 

Mediums it is for super size.  I am still debating on eighth or ten frames.  I am still fairly young in my forties and hoping to be able bodied for at least another few years.  I am thinking that ten frames will be it. 

The foundation decision will probably be wax without the hooks to snap into grooved frames. 

The next  thing is what beesuit?  I have read nothing but good reviews of the Ultrabreeze.  I hate being hot as sweaty and that suit seems to be almost sting proof and well ventilated.   Of course it is a bit pricey, but I am hoping to be in this for awhile and that should last me a few years.   

Is there anything else that I need to consider  for now?

[Colobee]

Deep or medium langs is a matter of personal preference. I too, run all mediums ( langs). I'm now starting to transition to 8's. One primary concern for some is that mediums will cost  a bit more than deeps for the same amount of hive space. Even when I was a strong young bull I found a deep full of honey to be unpleasant to heft around at times. There are other arguments that have some merit but in the end the bees appear to adapt quite well to either.
 
If you can afford the difference I would also recommend all mediums. You won't be chastised for going all deeps, all mediums, or mixing - they all have their good points.

[Rurification]

Get a good smoker and spend some time practicing with it.  You can start with that as soon as you get your equipment and are waiting on your bees.   Decide which kind of fuel you like and make sure you have plenty around. [Dried pine needles are great - and free, if you're lucky].  See if you can keep it lit for an hour - inspections always take me longer than I think they will.    Also,  those flat hivetools are fabulous and if you can swing it, get two.   I leave one at the hives, in a shim under one of the telescoping covers, so if I'm walking by and need to pop a lid I can.

Good luck and have fun.   You'll learn a lot about yourself as you learn about the bees.

[Maggiesdad]

Heh heh  kkipp9, you still gon' get sweaty.
When I'm up in the thick of things, I sweat bullets, even when the ambient is in the mid 80s.
Kick it on up to 97 and the comb's starting to get a little mooshy, I sweat like a lawn sprinkler.
Sweat dripping all down in the boxes, lawd have mercy.

[Joe D]

Shoot, want to sweat come down here to south Miss. in July or August.  When I was thinking about getting into beekeeping, I went around to talk with local bks.  One of the Older fellows past away, and I bought the threes hives he had left from his daughter.  He had told her to sell them and all his old boxes and frames for $375.  He was in his late 80's or 90's.  He was using deeps for the brood and shallow for supers.  So that is what I started with, all 10 frame.  A few years ago I did make some 10 frames mediums that  I also use for supers.  Like coa I kind of like the shallow supers.
On the TBH's, I would go with a long Lang if you were to decide to go that way.  Then you could use an extractor to sling your honey.
And going foundationless, you have to keep a watch on.  Some will do it fine and other may run comb across frames.  If you catch it early enough it is ease to push or press back into place. 

Good luck with which ever you decide.  You can read and watch videos, but it will come down to your decision.

Joe D