User: If I was planning to become a beekeeper and keep a hive of honeybees, what supplies do I need? What are my first steps?
Assistant: That’s an exciting project!  A few important things will be needed in order to successfully keep bees.  First of all, you’ll need colonies of bees, i.e. a group of bees living with their queen in a hive.  You can buy a hive, use a colony that someone else has, or carefully construct a hive.  The next thing that you’ll need are the proper supplies and tools.  For this, you’ll need a couple of boxes to divide the jar of sugar syrup you use to feed your bees, a smoker to keep the bees calm, a “hive tool” for exploring the hive, excluding or removing bees from the hive, moving frames, etc.  You’ll also need enough protective clothing to cover different areas of your body, e.g. gloves, headgear, and a jacket, so that the bees can’t sting you.  Finally, a bee suit is always good to have as additional protection.  You should also research what type of honey you prefer to produce, and get a big enough dewar or Mason jar to store the excess honey, as well as various flows and equipment for extracting the honey.