[Bioman]

Adams hardware has good quality bee equipment and can be found on most high streets.

National Bee Supplies is good but quite expensive

Thornes is steeply priced.

You can build your own bee frames by putting the frames and wax together yourself. Once you become profecient you can make them for a fraction of the cost whilst often making a better product. My Dad goes out for a couple of hours every year and builds his enough for 7 hives and he finds it very satisfying.

[AndyMorton]

Hi all!!

Thank you all so much for the replies!!

I ended up buying bits and pieces from varying sources, and in essence i think the moral of the story is that 'you get what you pay for'. But having said that, some of the cheaper buys have turned out to be a-ok...well so far so good at least!

Just incase anyone else who is thinking of starting out in the world of bees is interested....I ended up going for the full suit, with a round style hat. The shape of hat was just my personal preference, however I was really quite glad that i chose the full suit on a couple of occassions - number one would have to be when I accompanied my 'mentor' to some of his hives at the Rape fields when he was in the process of taking the crop off - viscious and persistent doesn't quite begin to cover it! 
But having said that it does get a little warm in a full suit!

Thanks again for all the input!

 

[Sudanpan]

I start my Bee Keeping course at Duchy college tomorrow evening - very excited 

[AndyMorton]

Fantastic!!

Keep us posted how you get on :-)

 

[Sudanpan]

Will do 
The Duchy course is Part 1 leading towards the BBKA certificate after a year's actual experience plus some more course content. The Part 1 consists of 10 x 2 hour weekly theory sessions from now until end of March, then 8 x 2 hour weekly practical sessions in April to June.  The course has been really popular this year - there are about 40 of us so they have split the group into 3 lots - the tutor is going to have a very sore throat!
Tish 

[Beeducked]

I have only been keeping bees for a year but in my experience is definitely get overalls. Bees can sting through jeans in a heartbeat (although they usually don't). I bought from Thornes s that was what I was recommended by my mentor and I have never had reason to regret that. Always good quality (and I love the smell of warm cedar wood and honey!).

[Small Farmer]

It's gloves which are the problem because the official leather gloves are impossible to clean properly and you can't feel what you're doing in them.  We use heavy rubber gloves.  Well, I do:  OH uses thin rubber gloves and says it's worth it.

Bees can sting through a thornes suit especially if you get a grumpy colony or a bad day.  There's a skill in minimising stings by removing them without injecting all the venom.

[anderso]

With regard to equipment - have a look at top bar hive beekeeping - read up on it there a number of good articles from the African hive to the wherry - very useful if you have a bad back-

[Beeducked]

My Mum also really recommends top bar hives. They also have someone in their association who is in a wheelchair so he can still bee keep.