Then I started keeping bees. There is something about beekeeping that is both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I’m sure for the more experienced beekeeper the terrifying part becomes diluted or disappears but for me, a newbee, it is still very much alive. One of the most surprising […]
My First Year
In Case You’re Wondering Bees Can Chew Through Garden Row Cover – Part 3 of 3
And yes, I found that out the hard way. On June 10th, 2011, my bees swarmed. On June 11th, 2011, I was able to capture them using duct tape, a rock and a string, but the job was incomplete. Now I needed to rehive them. I took my container of […]
Duct Tape, A Rock And A String Saved My Swarm – Part 2 of 3
Yes, sometimes bees are really stupid. On June 10th, 2011 after several attempts my bees swarmed. Being 80 feet high in the air, I had given up on retrieving them and waved goodbye. But on June 11th, 2011, when I found out they were still there, it was raining outside, […]
My First Bee Swarm – Part 1 of 3
One of the unavoidable, exciting and sometimes depressing aspects of beekeeping is swarming. Bee Swarm – this word draws great fear in some circles, as we have all heard horror stories of killer bee swarms that have relentlessly attacked people leaving fatal injuries. While bees can be aggressive defending their […]
Hello, Peeping Tom Neighbors! Yes, It Is Just Me In That Spacesuit.
One of the biggest hurdles with semi-urban beekeeping is dealing with your neighbors. When you tell people you are a beekeeper they will usually respond in one of two ways – “That is so cool, how did you get into it?” or “Why the hell would you want to do […]