If you can pick up a nuc, hive or swarm before the end of December then I would start them this season. You probably wont get any honey off them this season but they should build up enough to get through winter.
If you have the brood box, lid and bottom board built set it up where you plan on putting the hive and you might get lucky and pick up a swarm. Still a few swarms about over this way the last few weeks.
#220
I’ll see what happens on Sunday when I visit the Wagga Wagga amateur bee keepers club. I also still have to paint it yet, and don’t want to rush doing that. I have filled all the joins in the roof with PVA glue, as I read yesterday of about water leaking into hives, so with the glue and the paint hopefully me bees will stay dry. I may even put a skillet over the hive for our winter/ spring, and for any heatwaves through summer. Maybe try and get an old caravan awning, so that it can be folded up against a small shed that will be next to where I am planning to set up the hive, on days that are nicer.
Hi #Palex82 were out of Wagga are you, I’m out at The Rock. I am just about to start up a flow hive, I’ve got it built, and about to start painting it. I’m going to try getting to the Wagga amateur bee keeper club this coming Sunday to get further advice, and to enquire about the possibility of getting some bees to get my hive started. Should be a great year to do so, as it’s so nice and green, with plants in full bloom. I did want to start sooner, but there was a delay in my order getting to me, as they were out of stock.