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.