Purchasing Hives

I drove out to Guelph, to Propolis-etc, to get a couple of hives. I wanted to be able to take the time to really look at what I was getting. I had originally planned to get the hives from Dancing Bee Apiaries - they are closer to the cottage where the bees will be. But I would have had to wait until Saturday morning at 7:00 to get the hives, and that was cutting it too close, so to Guelph I went. Propolis-etc was exactly what I wanted. I got to look at the options, handle them, and ask questions. The staff was very helpful and patient. I appreciated that they didn't try and up-sell me. I decided on wood frames with wired wax foundations. One look at the plastic frames made that decision easy - they were icky feeling. I waffled on whether to go with waxed or painted boxes. But decided on waxed because the straight white wasn't great, and I would be hard pressed to ensure that I could paint them either Friday night or Saturday morning. I like the look of the wood too. All told, two hives and all the necessary equipment was just under $500. Driving home, the smell was divine! The panic ebbs, and the excitement begins...