" Is there any way to begin bees, but the hard way? It seems to me that the same mindset that draws folks to beekeeping, also puts them at a disadvantage, particularly at the start. 

Also, I think there is more than just the honey harvest.... It's the whole seasonal experience, and having bees delivered mid-season may be unsatisfying to some. 

This year, I made the hard-decision to shift our bee club's bulk-purchase from Nucs to Packages. A consideration, albeit a lesser one, is that Packages are available a month earlier here, and gives the newbeeks more time to learn and enjoy. " 

We have always made club purchases of packages, I think the best way to learn is to start from assembly of equipment right through establishing a package. The one year we did a club purchase of nucs was disastrous for the poor new beekeepers who were traumatized by 'hot' bees (truly hot, 200 nucs with the meanest bees you've ever seen delivered to a club member's field, the ensuing pickup nightmares and home stories will live on in the annals of our club forever). We won't go into the quality of the nucs, and I'm not talking temperament. Old, gross comb, queens that were, at best, insufficient, 'nucs' that weren't much more than shaken bees with a queen inserted - never again will that be the way we go as a club. 

Best to establish with a package supplier you trust, run a good, informational bee school, have a mentoring program established and let them experience it all in a more controlled manner. 

Take care, 

Ann 



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