Hi, I have just bought my first Flow hive and new to bee keeping, I live on the Gold Coast Australia and was wondering if anyone can’t point me in the right direction to buy bees.
I’m also wondering if Italian a generally the best to start out and if a Nuc or package would be better for me?
Thank you
There is a very active bee keeping group on the Gold Coast that might be able to supply bees, probably in a month or two. Also if you are able to spend a couple of hours driving I know @JeffH at Buderim up here on the Sunshine Coast will be happy to set you up right now. His bees are basically Italians. Italians are a good choice of bee. They are good honey producers and generally pretty calm if they are happy and have work for them to do. But like any bee they will let you know if things are not going well or they are bored, much like us humans I guess… 
I have bought from Jeff and been more than happy with his bees, he is a real gentleman and will make sure you have a strong colony and heaps of tips and advice too.
Welcome to the forum where you will find lots or reading and great people happy to give good advice and support for you on learning about bee keeping, but beware, it is very addictive.
I was down on the Tweed Coast 3 or 4 months ago helping a new bee keeper to understand his hive better, a great area for having a hive or two. and two hives has many advantages over just one.
Cheers
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You’re a dead set legend Peter, really appreciate your help. I’ll start setting it up and look into ordering soon.
If one is available and you can afford the difference I would always go for a good nuc. You are off and running straight away with one of them. Also, be aware of SHB they can really get a go on qiickly.
Cheers
Rob.
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Good advice, what Jeff sells is more than a nuc and excellent value. Jeff runs 10 frame boxes and I’m into 8 frames but I still smile at Jeff even shaking a few frames of bees into my box before we closed it up for the trip home. A real ‘old school gentleman’…
Cheers
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Ben, I don’t wear that hat comfortably, what I do on the forum is pass on information and advice based on my own experiences. I had a great mentor, a commercial bee keeper, who was a wealth of information and being before computers, he was happy to put the time in at my apiary or have me put in some days with him.
Like him, I get a buzz out of passing on information to make a newbees experience more successful. I’m retired so have some spare time and really enjoy helping guys or helping them where I can, that’s just life and my bees are a major part of it.
I have done nothing more for you than to be able to put you in touch with Jeff,
Cheers
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Awesome!
I might get into contact with him and see if I can hook it up in a couple of weeks.
If I get a Nuc off him does that mean I won’t use my frames just my brood box? because I’m buying an established one so the frames are already in?
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It means you will have a working mini hive (4 or 5 frames) which you put in your big brood box with empty frames on the outside to fill the box. Let them build up before you even start thinking about adding a super.
Cheers
Rob.
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Many thanks @Peter48 & @Rmcpb. If @bjulli does make the trip up to pick up a nuc, I’ll make sure he gets a good one, cheers
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What happens you can ask Jeff as he has added to your thread now, what I did was to take my base board, brood box full of frames fitted with foundation and the lid with a strap so that it all stayed together for my trip home and he takes your frames in exchange one for one, but if you don’t have frames with foundation he will adjust the price. He makes certain that you get a good queen. Late afternoon till just after dark is best as you then get a balance of age of bees.
I sell complete hives with a single brood box and super fitted with a metal QX and mouse guard so what Jeff and I sell are different.
Cheers
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Thanks Peter, I no longer exchange frames on account of that foundation the bees don’t like. Also some supposedly new frames had been in hives for short periods, going by little bits of propolis on them. In those cases I removed the foundation, scorched the frames before fitting fresh foundation. In another incident a bloke traded 2nd hand frames (with separate foundation) which I knew I was going to scorch, so that was fine, except the frames were old & needed some repairs before I could use them.
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I recalled you had issues and changed things Jeff but what had changed slipped my mind. So is it now that all that you need is the roof, brood box and base board?
I have just got home and a week ago added a super of stickies to a strong hive that had it’s super about 50% capped. I meant for the bees to take the honey down into the super and finish capping it but this morning both of the boxes were full and capped, so I guess I didn’t explain it to them well enough Had some rain over the past 2 or 3 nights but great warm days and the bees are very busy. Looking good… 
Cheers
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Hi Pete, yes that’s all plus some frames to hold the 4 frames I supply firm for the trip home. Definitely the bottom board. A bloke with a flow2 didn’t bring the bottom board yesterday. I had to use his crown board as a bottom board & some cardboard as a roof for his trip home. He was going to change the bottom board last night after he got home. I strongly advised him not to & gave my reasons. I hope he took notice of my advice 
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