At minimum you need a bottom board, one deep hive body with ten frames and foundation, an inner cover, a telescoping outer cover, a hive stand, a feeder, a smoker, a hive tool, and a veil. Everything else is optional in year one. If those items are assembled, painted, and standing in your bee yard before pickup day, you are ready.
The mistake we see most often isn't buying the wrong gear. It's buying the right gear and not having it ready. Paint needs days to cure. Frames take longer to assemble than anyone expects. Pickup day is not the day to discover you're short four frames.
What do I need on pickup day itself?
A vehicle you can ventilate, a ratchet strap or two, and a plan. Bees travel best in a cool, moving vehicle with airflow. A closed trunk on a warm April afternoon is the single most common way people lose bees between our truck and their yard.
Bring your veil. You probably won't need it, but a package that shifts in transit is a bad time to be reaching for one.
What gets forgotten every single year?
- A feeder. New colonies need syrup. Frame feeders, entrance feeders, and pail feeders all work — but you need one on day one.
- Sugar. Buy it before spring. Twenty-five pounds minimum per colony.
- A hive stand. Anything that gets the hive off the ground. Cinder blocks are fine.
- An entrance reducer. A new colony cannot defend a full-width entrance.
- Something to level with. A hive that leans forward sheds water. A hive that leans back holds it.
Do I need a second box right away?
No, but you'll want it within about six weeks. A package or nuc installed in late April in the northern plains will usually be ready for a second deep by early June in a normal year. Buy it now while you have time to assemble it — you will not want that job in June when the bees actually need the space.
What about a bee suit?
A veil and gloves cover most people. A full suit is comfort, not necessity, and plenty of experienced beekeepers work in a veil and long sleeves. If you're nervous, buy the suit — being relaxed around your bees matters more than the gear you saved money on.
How early should all this be done?
Two weeks before your pickup date. That gives paint time to cure and gives you time to discover what you're missing while you can still order it.
Questions about any of this? Call or text us at (701) 809-0153. We're always happy to help, even if you didn't get your bees from us.