I mentioned a couple weeks ago that we've started beekeeping. I honestly don't know what got me started down this path, but it has been a fascinating experience. I knew next to nothing about bees, and still don't know much, but I am learning more every day.
I have a tendency to talk a lot about whatever is on my mind so lately I have been talking a lot about honeybees. There are two common reactions I get when I tell someone we've started keeping bees. The first one is "my dad (granddad, uncle, etc.) used to do that." or a shocked/horrified look accompanied with "I'm allergic to bees."
I've read a good bit about reactions to bee stings. I learned a few things that were news to me, that I'd like to share. First, if a person is allergic to one kind of bee, they're not automatically allergic to all bees. For example, if you're allergic to yellow jackets, you might not be allergic to wasps. Secondly, many people THINK they are allergic to bees who actually aren't. If you've been stung by a bee and it swelled up and stayed hot for days and hurt like a hound dog, you're not actually allergic to bees. That is considered a normal reaction. If you have swelling around the eyes, lips, tongue, or throat with difficulty breathing or swallowing that is an allergic reaction. However, all bee stings should be monitored closely, because it is my understanding that you can become allergic even if you weren't previously. Chances are, if you've been stung before, it was by something other than a honeybee. I do believe I have stepped on one in the grass before and gotten stung, but back then I probably didn't take time to consider what kind of bee it was, as I considered all bees my arch enemies.
That brings me to my next point. Bees are not our arch enemies. They are our friends. If it wasn't for these buzzy little bees, our food supply would be in great jeopardy. In fact, our food supply IS in great jeopardy. Something called Colony Collapse Disorder has been affecting bees all over the country for the last decade. Whole colonies of bees are dying suddenly. Some beekeepers report losing 30-90% of their hives in a single year. Although the exact cause of CCD is unknown, high levels of pesticide use in agriculture have taken their toll on the bee (and human) population.
Because there aren't enough wild bees to pollinate areas where commercial agriculture is dominant, beekeepers are paid to relocate their hives to different parts of the country as different crops are in season. Without the bees, the farmers wouldn't be able to produce their crops. Many bees are transported all over the country starting in the more Southern climates and moving North as the weather changes and Spring moves north. Agreements are made with the farmers that they won't spray their crops with pesticides until after the bees are moved. There are several documentaries on the plight of the honeybee that you can see
HERE. I've been watching the one called More than Honey in pieces.
Beekeeping seems to have gotten more complicated in the last decade or so. In addition to Colony Collapse disorder, there are also pests like Small Hive Beetles and Varroa Mites that have to be addressed. Years ago, beekeepers didn't have do deal with these pests. They set up their hives in the spring and came back in the fall to collect rent (AKA honey!) Now, beekeepers have to inspect their hives weekly to check for the first signs of these pests and take immediate action. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the entire colony.
There is a movement to encourage people to keep bees. They are even being kept in cities, on rooftops. This is what we are doing.... kinda. We live in a subdivision. Even though we are technically within the city limits, we are also kinda out in the country. We opted to put our two beehives on a deck over our garage. We figured they would be more out of the way up there and less of a concern for neighbors. We also have a lot of company and a lot of kids in our yard, so the bees are less likely to be disturbed up there. Plus they have a beautiful view. They can see all the way from our home in Tennessee to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina on a clear day.
People have asked about us selling honey. That's really not why we are doing it. In fact, it is unlikely that we will be able to harvest any honey at all this first year. One colony of honeybees can make up to 200 lbs of honey on a good year. One thing I didn't know at first, is that you have to leave a lot of the honey for the bees, so they can survive the winter. The amount will vary depending on where you live. In colder climates, they need larger stores for the winter than they do in the South. I doubt we will be selling any honey. I hope to have enough for my family and maybe be able to give some as gifts,but, we will see. So far the whole family is really enjoying this hobby, so I suppose it is possible we might expand our operation in the future. Most beekeepers I've talked to say it is addictive.
Speaking of talking to other beekeepers, I've learned this is a very social kind of hobby for some. Beekeepers really enjoy sharing what they know with new beeks (that the nickname some beekeepers use for themselves). I've also learned if you ask ten different beekeepers a question, you will get ten different answers. In a way, that's good because that means there are many ways to accomplish the same thing... but I like to do things the RIGHT way, and it bothers me to some degree that there isn't a RIGHT way. There are beekeeping clubs in most communities and I've found several beekeeping pages on facebook. The people there have been so helpful and answer promptly so when I'm panicking, they are there to answer my questions and help settle me down, which is sometimes harder than it sounds. I've been called high-strung before. (by meanies!) Personally, I think they are low-strung and have no idea that while they are sitting there like a knot on a log like nothing is wrong, they should, in fact, be working themselves into a full-blown panic attack like a normal person. Why are they so calm????
There are a couple of ways to get started with honeybees, The first way is to order a package of bees. This is what we did. We ordered two three-pound packages of Italian honeybees. They are estimated to have about ten thousand bees each. The second way is to find a swarm of wild bees and catch it and set them up in your prepared hive. That is what I really would have loved to do, but for a newBEE, that's a pretty big job. The advantage is that they are free, and are already acclimated to the climate and produce more honey. Bees that have swarmed usually have a mature queen and know what they're doing. Check out my Papaw picking up our bees.
Most people who raise bees (at least in the South) raise Italian honeybees. They are not very aggressive. We are able to go right up to the hive entrance and sit down inches away from them and watch their comings and goings. They don't seem to mind our presence one bit. We don't wear any protective gear for observing. and they completely ignore us. We do suit up when we are looking inside the hive. I am careful where I put my hand, as it would be easy to get stung by smashing a bee. In fact, when I was installing one of the packages of bees into the hive box, I took off my glove to take a picture. A bee got in the glove and when I put my hand back in it, I got stung. I take the blame for that though. I should have been more careful. Honestly, it didn't hurt much at all. Please don't mistake me for a tough ol' broad, because I'm not. I'm like a two year old when I am in pain. I walked out to the yard and picked a leaf from a plantain plant and chewed it up and put it on the sting. It instantly stopped throbbing. I do mean instantly, as in, the very second I applied it! This is what plantain looks like. It is basically a weed that most people don't want in their yards, but it and dandelion greens have wonderful medicinal properties and can be used to make all sorts of home remedies.
We have found watching the bees come and go from the hive to be very interesting. VERY! In the pictures below, you will see that some of the honeybees have yellow spots on their hind legs. These are pollen pouches that they fill as they are out doing their work. I saw one bee come in that was absolutely COVERED in a bright orange pollen. Seriously, it looked like someone had spray painted him with blaze orange paint. He got in the hive before I got a chance to snap his picture. Some of the pollen they are bringing in is light yellow, and some is school bus yellow and today we've seen some very dark red pollen being brought in. More experienced beekeepers can tell what they are bringing in based on the color and knowing what is in bloom. The redbuds are getting ready to burst open in all their purple glory any day, and I'm guessing that is what some of the really dark pollen is.
Speaking of what is in bloom, I've been reading up on plants that are good for bees. It turns out that they like pretty much all of the herbs, and since I've been wanting an herb garden, I ordered a bunch of seeds to plant. I'll be attempting to grow basil, oregano, lavender, catnip, feverfew, German chamomile, rosemary, marjoram, sage, bee balm, dill, echinacea, milk thistle and milkweed, cilantro and salvia. I also will be
trying to growing a bunch of flowers that are known to be favorites among pollinators such as cosmos, zinnias, poppies, aster, yarrow, candytuft, alyssum, calendula, marigolds, and sunflowers. I'm more worried about trying to get all these plants to grow than I am about the bees. I really don't have a green thumb, but I do want to try. I do pretty good getting everything started inside, but when they move outside to the flowerbeds, that's when things go downhill. At least that's what happened last year. I'm hoping this year will be better.
We have a LOT of flower beds but not a lot of flowers. We've spend the last two years digging out overgrown shrubs and cutting them back to reasonable sizes. I joke that if I ever make a horror movie, it will be named Roots. (I know the name isn't new... but I'm telling you, those things are EVIL!) You can pull roots out for days! If you're not careful you will also pull your back! When I say a lot of flower beds, I'm talking over 200 linear feet of mulched beds that are between five and eight feet deep. Our front yard is terraced, so there are two levels of them. That is a lot of landscaping for someone who is not experienced and doesn't really enjoy yard work. My bees are motivating me this year. I wanna be the best bee mama I can.
Anyone know what kind of weeds those are in the picture below? We didn't have them last year, but I've dug up enough of them to fill a five gallon bucket this year.
That is a heckofalot of weeds to pull in a year. Go away, dandelions! You're not welcome here!
We just ordered ten yards of mulch. I think it is the biggest load they can put on one truck, from this place, at least. Another place said they can only deliver five yards at a time, so we would have had to pay two delivery fees. My dentist asked me if I had plans for the weekend. I just laughed. I guess you can call that plans.
The driver who delivered the mulch accidentally knocked down our basketball goal. I started yelling and waving to get his attention before it happened, but he didn't see/hear me in time to stop. I didn't yell afterwards. He felt bad about it and they're going to fix it. Worse things can happen, right?
I said all that about my flowers to say... I think YOU should plant flowers too. If not for my bees, do it for the ones who live near you. Some bees have to fly up to five miles to gather enough pollen. If you are interested in planting some flowers for bees, there is a program where you can get free seeds. Click
HERE to get a free pack of wildflower seeds that are good for pollinators.
I know its not likely that you will be moved to become a beekeeper from reading this post, but I have learned so much in the last month as we've been getting ready for our honeybees, that I wanted to share with you. Many of you are friends and have been asking questions. Hopefully I have answered some and caused you to ask more! I'd love to talk with you about this, especially if you have any desire to get some bees of your own.
One last thing. We have a Magnolia tree just outside our front door. Last year a robin built a nest in it right at eye level when you are on the sidewalk. She's was renovating the nest last weekend and then disappeared for a couple of days. We were afraid something had happened to her. She showed back up yesterday and laid one beautiful blue egg and today she deposited a second egg. We're excited to get to watch the next couple of weeks and see the eggs hatch again this year. This year our Spring seems to be all about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees.
your buzzy friend,
Kristy
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