Start collecting your gear. 8 frame solid bottom with a wood inner cover with a hole in it seems to be one of the favorites in my area, I got 10 frame since that is all my original mentor knew about. Dont let all those idiots on youtube standing around in their underwear working bees fool you, anyone can do that during a good flow on a nice day, for all other times a veiled hood is the most necessary, a nice jacket is very helpful, I like bare handed (with latex surg gloves just to keep hands clean and not sticky) but always have some good gloves in your tool bucket. Here is what you cant do when just beekeeping in your undies, a deer knocks over your hive, the bees think they have been attacked and are very defensive, you have to go back out and put the hive back together, this is when you find out that very angry bees will sting anything that moves near their hive, you have to go in there and fix the hive or they will die, simple as that, buck up and work really fast and dont count the stings you get thru your suit and heavy gloves. If you can, start out with 2 or 3 hives, that way if one queen is very strong and one isnt you can help the weaker hive a little while looking for a better queen or even making one yourself. Dont go getting a honey extractor just yet, but a smoker and a J-tool are really needed. My dog hates bees, he looks like a little brown bear and doesnt have any fur on his belly
WVMJ