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Planning to Purchase Bees <br /> • Package bees and nucs can be purchased directly from a producer or supplier. We recommend that r� <br /> new beekeepers purchase bees from a local, specialty beekeeping store or from a local beekeeper. <br /> • It is very important that you become familiar with the reputation of the bee supplier. Talk to other <br /> customers of your supplier to check on their experience. We do not make recommendations about the <br /> best place to purchase bees. <br /> • We recommend buying at least a 2lb package (about 7,000 bees per package). <br /> • Due to high demand, packages and nucs should be ordered in December or January. <br /> • If you have your package bees mailed to your home, it is a good idea to warn your mail carrier in <br /> advance that they are coming. Nucs cannot be mailed. <br /> Multiple Colonies Help with Understanding "Normal" <br /> We recommend starting with at least two colonies of bees, if possible.As a new <br /> beekeeper, it is good to have a frame of reference (pun intended) for normal colony <br /> growth. With two colonies you can compare them and if something is wrong, then <br /> Words of you can recognize it. If you start with just one colony, be sure you join a hobby <br /> beekeeping association, or have a beekeeping mentor to help you understand the <br /> Wisdom normal and healthy progression of a colony over the season used in the brood nest. <br /> The brood nest wax combs will likely accumulate pesticide residues from stored pollen. Pesticides are <br /> lipophilic, meaning they like lipids, which pollen and wax contain. Nectar and honey do not contain lipids, <br /> so residues in honey are much lower. <br /> One advantage of using boxes and frames that are all the same size (e.g. all mediums or all deeps) is that . <br /> you can rotate frames with comb from the supers to replace old comb in the brood boxes. But do not rotate <br /> frames from any brood box into a honey super. Keep your honey pure. <br /> Replace brood combs regularly. <br /> Table 3. Pros and cons of each method of acquiring a colony. <br /> Packages Nucs Full-sized colonies Swarms <br /> -Can start on all new -Quickly grows in <br /> equipment population Grows very quickly Free <br /> -Pros - Usually have very -Success in establishment May produce more Fun to collect if the swarm <br /> low varroa mites can be more dependable honey than other is in an easily reached <br /> levels than a package methods location <br /> Buying used comb which - Buying used comb that - Must catch a swarm <br /> - Need to feed the may contain pesticide before the end of June at <br /> may contain pesticide <br /> colony more residue and disease the latest for it to build up <br /> residue and disease spores <br /> Cons -Takes longer to May have varroa mites spores enough to survive winter <br /> build than nucs or at a level that requires - Most expensive - Unreliable to find <br /> colonies - May have high varroa - May have varroa mites <br /> management, and/or • <br /> mite levels and/or brood at a level that requires <br /> brood diseases <br /> diseases management <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 28 <br />