I'd contact the South Caroline Department of Agriculture and get contact 
information for your local chapter of the state beekeepers association, 
and ask THEM about local sources of packages. I highly recommend buying 
locally raised bees if at all possible. You're in the heart of 
beekeeping country and it shouldn't be too difficult finding experienced 
beekeepers to talk to and a local source of bees. For that matter, 
Brushy Mountain sells bees. You might be able to get your equipment and 
bees all at the same time.

As for the Garden hive, they're a bit pricey. That said, I was given a 
hive with one of those peaked copper-topped lids last year and I must 
say, they're very attractive though not too practical. You can't set 
your smoker, iced coffee or glass of lemonade on the lid, and you can't 
turn it over on the ground and easily stack hive bodies on it. Still, my 
wife has requested that I put a hive in our vegetable garden this year 
and she wants *that* lid on it. Sigh :)

New packages usually don't swarm the first year but of course if you 
plan on that, they will swarm. Supers won't necessarily keep them from 
swarming. You will get plenty of advice about preventing swarming, some 
of it actually helpful, from local beekeepers in your area.

Good luck and have fun.

George-
---------------------------
George Fergusson
Whitefield Maine

Mountaineer wrote:
> Where can I order package bees from for delivery in SC?  I am tempted to order the
> English Garden hive kit from Brushy Mountain (2 of them) , and have watched
> a few videos and also read some books.

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