Hello from Michigan

[homemaid]

 Hello, we are very new to beekeeping and to this site. I have been reading as a lurker for awhile and wanted to be able to post. So here I am. We are in the Thumb of Michigan and trying to learn all we can to be successfull beekeepers. We talked about starting a couple hives for about a year orso. Well we had a hive in a hollow of the maple tree in our front yard. Not the best way to start out but we did it. We ended up with 2 viable hives. Hive 1 consisted of comb, larvae, ect. From the tree rubber banded into frames. Well they made a new queen. Our hive 2 was after a week or so the queen emerged from the tree via screen cone and hubby spotted her. We got her in a queen catcher and into hive 2. Well within an hour we had about 5,000 bees in there with her. This hive is growing like gangbusters. Hive 1 is still week. Enough with that so as new beekeepers we sure learned a lot just going through this. But soooo much more to learn.

[tefer2]

Welcome to the forum, how's the Goldenrod flow over there?

[Joe D]

Welcome to the forum, Watercanlady.  Things like that help you learn pretty good.  There is a lot of threads and videos here that can help.  You may want to check out your local bee club also.  Good luck to you and your bees.




Joe

[Moots]

WCL,
Sounds like a great start...welcome to the forum.  There are lots of good folks here willing to share their knowledge and answer questions, taking advantage of it has helped me out countless times in dealing with all there is to learn as a new Beek.

Good luck!  :)

[adkotahajesban]

Welcome to the forums, I am also trying to learn all that I can and plan on starting a couple hives in the spring of 2014.

[homemaid]

Thank you all for the welcomes... There isn't really much goldenrod around me. I will have to pay attention tomorrow on our way to the airport.... We have gone to a bee club already but was not impressed with it. We are thinking of going a conference in Flint the end of Oct. and going to a different club. We talked to a guy with over 1000 hives out and he was very discouraging before we got started with the tree and so were the members at the club. We did run into a wonderful lady at Dadant when buying the hives and she has been help beyond expression. She lives about 4 hrs away but have send many many emails with photos back and forth.

[GSF]

Greetings & welcome to the forum.

I had the same experience as you when I first started out. I contacted the local bee keeping club, waited and after a while someone emailed me back with a POC closest to me. She pretty much scolded me for thinking about getting bees without going through a school first. That was around the first of the year that would have set me back at least a year. I can understand where they are coming from, but, dang. Other folks who said they would help out had a tendency not to return my calls. I only called about one time. I did call others maybe twice. I ain't gonna beg nobody for crap. Sorry for my nasty attitude toward some of the locals but it's like in order for them to maintain their superior brain status they must make others out to be stupid.

With the information superhighway you can learn so very much! But you just can't really beat local hands on experience and I recommend that. I have had a package since 7 Jun. I can assure you it is so enjoyable to see them bringing in pollen and going back out.

good luck

[danno]

welcome  Watercanlady 

[TNBeeLady]

Welcome Watercanlady!  I agree with GSF.  Hands on experience is the best.  Good luck!