Last fall, a friend gave me two stacks of beehives. They're out in my backyard. I've been working on putting them in a good position. Where they are now is out of the way of the sprinklers. I was pleased to see yesterday that it's a warm spot as the snow around them is melting. I think this is good, but will ask in my class.
I'd like to keep bees both as pollinators, for my vegetables and fruit trees, and for honey. I suppose there are enough native bees for pollination, but it will be interesting to keep bees and to have honey from my yard.
The hives I have are only the outer wood boxes, so I will be purchasing new inner parts. In the spring I will purchase the bees - if I pass my bee class.
I have kept bees, and I have many farmers in my area that keep bees, so if you need help or have a question, I can help. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I once captured a hive (with help from an old-timer) and that was really exciting.
ReplyDeleteOh now I am going to have to follow your adventures even more! I also keep bees and it is a great adventure even when they die in the middle of winter. Make sure you find a local bee club so you get an idea of what your winter losses are going to be like. Here in the northwest 50% survival rate is the usual. Still a lot of fun though!
ReplyDeleteAll the best to passing the class and becoming a be master. :) all I've read about bees make it sound really interesting, great that you take the step further and have your own hives.
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