My first Beek meeting

[journey11]

I just got back. I had a GREAT time. Oh my goodness, when the fella who heads it up started talking about good genetics and not dumping loads of chemicals on your bees, I was so happy I could have cried.


That was thing thing I was most worried about and almost didn't join because so many beeks who've been at it for years are not very accepting of natural beekeeping and will tell you you'll have no bees if you don't medicate the tar out of them. That was one of the first and main things he went over in the educational presentation part of the meeting. He said the state inspector and him butt heads all the time because he refuses to medicate his bees.

I am going to dig in and really put a lot of my time and effort into these bees. I am going to hold off on my dairy goat project for a few years and put all my focus (and money) into bees. I LOVE MY BEES! They facinate me.

You know what too, it's nice being in the company of people who love what you love. None of my friends (that I know in person) get me. They don't get my scary bees, my dirty chickens or my time-consuming garden. It's so refreshing to have someone to talk shop with! (Which is why you guys see me on here so much, you guys get it. )

I also volunteered my abilities to help with the website (if they want to take me up on it, maybe when they see that I will be sticking around.) I'm excited about going to Ag Day at the state capital and to be good honeybee PR wherever I can help. I'm going to see about getting the club president to maybe come to my youth group at church and do a presentation there (they like to do visits to schools and stuff.) My kids would just love it.

My hubby came along and he was really drawn in too and is getting excited for the upcoming season. I wish I'd joined sooner! I am so encouraged! They will help you out a lot and want you to succeed. He said he'd help me with my splits this spring too.

 

[thistlebloom]

You know what too, it's nice being in the company of people who love what you love. None of my friends (that I know in person) get me. They don't get my scary bees, my dirty chickens or my time-consuming garden. It's so refreshing to have someone to talk shop with! (Which is why you guys see me on here so much, you guys get it. )

Yaaaay!!! So happy for you! I know you'll share what you learn and I can look forward to the day when I can have bees too.
We love you too

 

[digitS']

Journey, I think of bees as scary too but I can take them 1 at a time. Really, we have a pretty good relationship even when I'm with a bunch of busy bees - I just behave in a very calm manner and realize I can survive 1 sting.

Two stings, DW says that she would make plans for a funeral . . .

I just came back home and walked out into the shadiest part of the backyard to kick the last of the snow around. Partly, it was because I am tired of seeing it out there and if it hadn't been ice on the bottom and stuck to the frozen ground I would have kicked it out into today's sunshine where it might have some chance of melting. But also, I made the mistake of walking thru the part of the backyard where I had the chickens yesterday and was afraid I'd be tracking chicken poop up on the deck if'n I didn't kick around some nice clean snow .

Yep, I think most of us "get it" even if we can't get all of it. I hope you and hubby have a lot of fun and a very productive year with the bees and everything!

Steve

 

[hiker125]

Journey- I am so glad that you had a great experience. My local beek society is not so supportive, but I found a great on-line community that is state wide. With forums, it is pretty easy to stay in touch and learn for each other.

We are really blessed in IN to have a supportive state inspector. She is very active in our forum and "gets" the non-chemical approach.

So many people lost their hives, we had a really long cold snap and a lot of bees froze. The whole varroa mite thing is really bad here and scares me to death.

My hive is built and my nuc is coming in May. I hope that I can successfuly manage my hive without chemicals and help keep these valuable girls around.

BTW, I totally get your scary bees, your dirty chickens and your garden. Most of my friends and family think that I am nuts too. However, as far as hobbies are concerned (I know that a lot of you all do this for a livilhood) , I can't imagine any that are as rewarding or productive.

 

[journey11]

Thanks, hiker. I know it can be hit or miss with the bee clubs. At least you tried. Forums are awesome for getting info too. I started with www.beesource.com during my first year because you do end up with so many questions and really need the support.

I'd say it also helped here that my area, although rural, is not a major agricultural area. I'm sure that having a higher percentage of commercial beekeepers in your area would sway things considerably. Our folks are all backyard hobbyists.

I liked that the club's president really encouraged everyone to work together for a strong, locally adapted honey bee gene pool. He urged people to cull weak, disease-prone or overly aggressive hives and talked about how we can build up our bees using locally produced queens. He said if you have a good, strong hive--share the love! They will even teach you how to rear your own queens and make splits! There is so much wisdom in this approach, working with a local bee population, rather than shipping in bees/queens from across the country. Which, btw, is how varroa got spread across the country over a period of merely two years. Nucs shipped up from the south brought in varroa infested bees.

He said the varroa mites haven't been bad in our area yet, but in some places they are really damaging and weakening colonies and causing heavy losses because the bees don't overwinter well, or pick up diseases more easily because they are already strained. I use an IPM bottom board on my hive because it does help with mite drop (they fall through the screen and die on the ground), as well as ventilation and a cleaner hive environment. You might want to look into that since the mites are so troublesome in your area. They also say grease patties help (a sugar patty made with crisco) because they encourage the bees to groom each other more. I've heard that natural comb (foundationless) may also help with varroa because the natural brood cell size is actually a fraction tighter than pre-made foundation and somehow this makes it difficult for the mites to bother the bees in pupae stage.

Good luck with your new hive and I hope you have a great season and get lots of honey! :bee :happy_flower

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Hiker would you please post more information about the Indiana on-line community? I have been thinking about trying my luck at beekeeping for several years but other things keep getting in the way.

Thanks.

 

[lorihadams]

Dust inside your hive with powdered sugar for the mites....one of the older guys said that's what he does...

I'm getting my first two hives in a couple weeks and I'm trying to figure out where to put them....my property is backwards, everywhere that is suitable for the hives gets no morning sun and blazing sun in the afternoons and evenings. The places that get good morning sun are exposed and get the brunt of the wind on the property so I would have to construct a fence to provide shade and wind protection. I still don't know where they are gonna go.

 

[beavis]

You know what too, it's nice being in the company of people who love what you love. None of my friends (that I know in person) get me. They don't get my scary bees, my dirty chickens or my time-consuming garden. It's so refreshing to have someone to talk shop with! (Which is why you guys see me on here so much, you guys get it. )

Exactly, and we love you being here as well.....

well said