Hello, hello!
     Welcome to the community.  I too am rather new at beekeeping but have
     found that I learned a lot that keeps coming back to help me at the
     oddest times from the HIVE and the HONEYBEE and the ABC and XYZ of Bee
     Culture.  I also read Ormand Aebi's "The Art of Beekeeping" and
     "Mastering the Art of Beekeeping", Richard Taylor's "The Joy of
     Beekeeping" and "The How to Do it...." book on beekeeping, Dick
     Bonney's "Hive Management", Diana Summatro(sp?) "The Beekeepers
     Handbook", and several others.  The list is pretty extensive.  Also,
     contact BEE CULTURE magazine at [log in to unmask] and inquire about
     back issues and a subscription.  American Bee Journal is another good
     magazine that covers beekeeping in the U.S. but I don't have an e-mail
     for them.
 
     As an aside, if the bees have been there in that hive box for some
     time, whether 8 years or if a swarm moved into the hive bodies more
     recently, they are probably ok left alone until spring.  I don't know
     when "spring" is in Georgia but you probably have time to get your
     equipment and information together.
 
     Also, contact your state Extension Office and inquire about beekeeping
     in your state.  Georgia has a lot of package bee producers so your
     Extension office should have information regarding associations or
     beekeepers in your area.  Find an association and attend several
     meetings.  Meet the people who keep bees in your area and start asking
     questions.  All of the beekeepers I have met are more than willing to
     help a newcomer.
 
     Get a bee magazine and start reading the articles and the ads.  Yep,
     that's right. The advertisements.  You'll find out a lot from them.
 
     Keep in touch with the rest of us out here.
 
     Mark Egloff
     Dayton, Ohio
 
 
 
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: New to Beekeeping
Author:  Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]> at CSC_uuxch
Date:    1/3/96 7:10 PM
 
 
-- [ From: Charles Grubbs * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
 
I am new to beekeeping, and am very ignorant on the subject. I have read a
couple of books from the local library, and have gathered as much
information as I can get from the internet. I recently became interested in
beekeeping as a hobby as something for myself and my 12 year old son to
possibly do together. I know a man that used to keep bees ( he quit 8 years
ago)  and told him of my interest and asked for information on how to get
started, he gave me a few references and told me a place to order equipment.
But to my surprise the other day he called and told me that he went to check
on a place that he had left a few of his old hives, and that one of them
still contained bees! This hive has been unattended for 8 years. He told me
that I could have the hive for free if I wanted it. I might also mention
that I live in the state of Georgia, and that the winters are very mild here
. So now I have a hive of questionable bees and don't know what I should do
next. The hive is in very poor condition and I guess that the bees will need
to be transferred to a new hive, but I don't know when or how to go about
doing this. Can anyone suggest a good book that is definitely a required
reading for beginners.
 
Sorry for this lengthy post and thanks to all of you for keeping this area
active for novices such as myself.