I just placed a large order of bee equipment from Brushy Mountain.
Like many hobbies, beekeeping has its own unique set of rules, customs, problems, costs, and confusions. Beekeeping definitely falls on the more complex side of the bell curve as compared with other hobbies.
For example, I ordered “medium-sized, cut-comb, wax foundation” to insert into the “frames” that are put into the “super” which is then protected by an “inner cover” and finally a “telescoping top”.
Also, in order to keep bees, you must have the following accouterments: at least one hive tool, a feeder (you have to feed the bees sugar water sometimes), an entrance reducer (helps them guard their entrance more easily), a screened bottom board, a smoker, a fume board, a queen excluder, ankle straps, a bee brush, and of course a protective bee suit.
It took me about one month to figure out what all this stuff was and what I needed. There are no standards in the bee industry, so equipment you order from one company may not work with stuff you buy from another–just one more thing that makes it harder.
Nonetheless, the bees are coming, and so is the equipment. When it arrives next week, I will take a picture of it all and post it.
