From: "Sarah J. Worley" <[log in to unmask]>

Nate, welcome to Beekeeping! It is fun and exciting and
frustrating(sometimes) all at the same time. As far as cost goes, you
can start up a Top Bar Hive for as little as $30, catch a free swarm and
work them without a veil/jacket or smoker and the $30 is all you are
going to spend. Or you can spend hundreds of dollars on Hive Bodies,
Frames, Foundation, Jacket, Veil, Smoker, Hive Tool...etc

Or a combination of both...I have 2 Top Bar Hives that cost me about $45
total, plus my labor of putting them together. And 2 Langstroth Hives
that I purchased (one with bees in it) for about $300, and caught a
swarm for the other one. I use a jacket from Dadant that I got for $40
and a smoker and hive tool that totaled around $20...

So, I guess the bottom line is that it can vary, depending on what you
are purchasing...I went to the different beekeeping suppliers and priced
everything out to figure out what I could afford and where to get it
cheapest...

Sarah J Worley

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