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Getting a swarm to start bee keeping?

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crispy:
Hi all need some advice on using a swarm as a starting point for bee keeping , there is a bee removal chap located very close to where i live and he catches swarms and houses them in your hive after you leave it with him .Just need some advice on weather this is a good move or not ,the next closest apiarist is around 40 or so km away and this bloke is about 4 ,i am no sure what he charges or even if he has any swarms but he is a registered apiarist and bee remover . I suppose if it went bad and they were angry little devils i could always just get another queen just looking for some advice . 

BeeMaster2:
I do lots of removals. Most of the time the bees stay put but it is a crap shoot. If you are paying for them, I would get a guarantee from him that he will replace them if they leave within the first month.
I do get a lot of hygienic bees this way. The best ones are the ones that are surviving on their own for a long time before being removed.
Make sure he shows you the queen.
You may be able to help him do removals and you just keep a hive or two. I do this quite a bit with new beeks and we end up being good friends.
Jim

Kathyp:

--- Quote ---You may be able to help him do removals and you just keep a hive or two. I do this quite a bit with new beeks and we end up being good friends.
--- End quote ---

And it would help you learn if you are starting from scratch.  There were years in the past that I couldn't take all the calls I got.  He might be willing to teach you and even give you overflow work if you guys hit it off.

Catching swarms is a great way to increase your yard, but there are tricks to it and learning those will help your success.

Bamboo:
Crispy
If you have no experience in keeping bees I would find your local club and rock up there and start picking their brains. Most beeks especially the older ones are more than happy to share knowledge. You might find too that as they get older it becomes more and more difficult to manage heavy 10 frame supers full of honey and they are looking to downsize or get rid of a hive or 2 at a very good price.

crispy:
Hi thanks for all the advice i am a novice and have done a lot of reading but as you say practical is a lot more of a teacher . As far as i know this chap does removals of wasp and bees dont know if he charges but i know he charges for the swarms he catches i suppose that is how he makes a living . He is really close to were i live no more than 5 mins drive so that is a bonus not to far to travel but as sawdustmkr says they might abscond after getting there i suppose its  the chance i take , most of the bee keeping associations here in S.A charge around the hundred doller a year fee charge . looking at doing a basic bee keeping course in the new year already have a hive (no bees ) all painted up in my shed ,looking at suits probably fo with the flow suit or oz armour ,have hive tools ect and a nice enclosed area behind my shed for my hive rear corner of 4 houses as i live in the burbs . Someone told me if you want to find out if your neighbours dont want bees is to set up your hive empty and see what happens , i was advised not to go telling them you are getting bees as the old "oh no bees " syndrome comes out fortunately my local council has a long history of bee keepers in the district so unless. they are really feral it shouldnt be a problem .   

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