My uncle got me into it with a hive and bees already in it. I bought a book called "Beekeeping for Dummies" that was a decent source of info and I did a lot of research from various other sources like magazines, bee supplier catalogs, etc...I basically read most anything I could find and then of course I had my dad and uncle to call on for experience. Outside of that, there are starter kits from various bee suppliers and you can buy a Nucleus colony to load the new hive with. Be prepared to shell out some dough, it's an expensive hobby.
We have 6 hives right now,at one point we had 20+ hives. My grandfather got me and my father into it. It's kind of ironic because we are both very allergic to bees. One thing I will say is that it can, suprisingly, be kind of expensive. The last few years have been tough for us. We have lost 5 hives this year for unknown reasons. It's been happening for several years now and we can not find a reason. It's like over night they just disappear. They can be doing very well and just out of the blue the hive will be completely empty. Not a single bee is left. We have been baffled. Strange thing is, several other local bee keepers have experienced the same thing. Just can't figure it out. It sure is nice haveing toast and fresh honey in the mornings though!!!!
