From Weimar, TX thanks for being here.

[John D.]

My wife & I have a weekend home where she like to plant flowers & garden. We noticed that there did not seem to be any bees this last spring around our flowers and this was about the time that CCD began to be more in the news.  I kept bees when I was a kid, but that was decades ago, so we decided to get two package bees in late spring and I've been hooked again, but this time around it's a whole new ballgame.  After six months I have managed not to kill either hive so I took an hour off last week to feel smug.  The first freak-out occured about a month ago when the SHB showed up.  I put a West trap on ASAP but also noticed that the bees were chasing the critters aggresively.  I've resigned myself that I only have so much control over this and future challenges and if l lose'em I'll start over again.
I am very excited at all the people that are becoming interested in bees and very gratefull & appreciative of all the people that so willingly share their time & experience on this forum & others.  I would have never made it when I got my first hive at age 14 without a mentor whose never-einding patience & interest will always be remembered.  Without the internet & all the generous contributors I don't see how all the new & us reborn beeks would make it.

Thanks again

[Cindi]

John D.  Welcome to our forum, it is nice to see you posting.  Things have indeed changed since you kept bees as a young man, there is not a doubt about it.  Wonderful that you have rekindled this love, you will find that as an adult, you have even more perseverance than as a child, and you wife will love the benefits of the honeybees and her plants.  Awesome, have a wonderful and great day, on our great planet, Earth.  Cindi

[JP]

Welcome John, no doubt it'll be different for you this time around. Its normal to have some losses, you just have to re-saddle and get back on the horse. Don't forget about swarm traps, you can catch some bees from your local area, these are the best for survival. Good luck and thanks for posting, JP.