Hey, y'all, from the land of tupelos!

[Honeytree]

Hi, everybody!

I'm Teresa. I don't even have my bees yet! I am totally in the geeky, gushy, excited phase. I took my first introductory to beekeeping course this weekend, given by my local beekeepers' association. Man, did it blow my mind! I came right home with my list of equipment and a catalog from a highly recommended local supplier and figured out exactly what number I was going to have to present to my husband as my first investment in my new hobby..and soon, since we're already into spring here!

Thanks for reading.

[dean0]

Hi Teresa from Central Florida. I am in the same geeky, gushy, excited phase as you.  I am a first year beek also but I already have all my equipment built and painted just waiting on the bees.  The person I am counting on for bees says I still have another 3 or 4 weeks before the bees will be ready.  I am going to be extremely excited when that day finally arrives.  Hope you have or can find a knowledgeable mentor to work with.  You will learn so much by having that actually hands experience.  This forum has a lot of experienced beeks but you have to decide which path you are going to take because there is a lot of conflicting information and more than one way of doing things.  Only you can decide which way is right for you. Maybe in the future, I can swap some orange blossom honey in exchange for some tupelo honey.  Good Luck with your new hobby.

Dean0

[AllenF]

[Honeytree]

Thanks, Dean and Allen, for the welcome!

I have run into a lot of conflicting information already; at the short course I took this weekend, there were two running jokes, neither of which I gathered was new:

"If you as five beekeepers a question, you get six answers."

and

"How do you make a small fortune in beekeeping? Start with a large fortune."

So, I am preparing for a trial-and-error-based-on-hunches-and-best-guesses-after-careful-research approach as well as a potentially expensive hobby.

Orange blossom honey is my second favorite. I grew up in Orlando, and the smell of citrus in bloom (which is now for you, right?) takes me right back home...

[Michael Bush]

The basis for most decisions:
http://bushfarms.com/beesphilosophy.htm

Advice for newbees.
http://bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

Decisions to be made:
http://bushfarms.com/beesoptions.htm

Beekeeping basics:
http://bushfarms.com/beesbasics.htm

A useful dictionary:
http://bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm

Glossary of Acronyms:
http://bushfarms.com/beesglossary.htm

General ideas of how not to work so hard:
http://bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm

[Honeytree]

Michael, thank you kindly for those links!

I just discovered your site last night, and am embarrassed to say that I stayed up THREE HOURS past my bedtime with all that I found there.

This hobby is getting to be like a fever already, and I'll say again--I don't even have the bees yet.  :shock:

[dean0]

"How do you make a small fortune in beekeeping? Start with a large fortune."

When my wife took up photography, I asked if she knew how to make a small fortune.  She did not know, so I told her she needed to start with a large fortune.  She didn't think it was funny.  She might be thinking the same about my beekeeping

Orange blossom honey is my second favorite. I grew up in Orlando, and the smell of citrus in bloom (which is now for you, right?) takes me right back home...

Yes they are in bloom this time of year.  My trees are loaded with blossoms and my hives are empty :( I am still 3-4 weeks away from getting my first 2 nucs. I have been excited for the past month but they will get here soon enough...I hope.

[annette]

Michael, thank you kindly for those links!

I just discovered your site last night, and am embarrassed to say that I stayed up THREE HOURS past my bedtime with all that I found there.

This hobby is getting to be like a fever already, and I'll say again--I don't even have the bees yet.  :shock:

Hi Honeytree,

You found the perfect site to learn about beekeeping as Michael is a wealth of information.

I started keeping bees in 2006 and I can remember the first season when I got my equipment together and ordered my bees. I was jumping out of my skin at the thought of doing this.  I have learned so much along the way, some good things, some bad things. But I definitely have calmed down with it all.

Enjoy your new experience and stay in touch here on the forum. You will get lots of help from experienced beekeepers.

Annette

[Honeytree]

Thanks for the welcome, Annette! And I did your parasol. As soon as my youngest babe is no longer "in arms," I plan on investing in one of those!

[annette]

Thanks for the welcome, Annette! And I did your parasol. As soon as my youngest babe is no longer "in arms," I plan on investing in one of those!

I understand as they can get torn up pretty easily, Only made of lacquered paper. Maybe JP (here on this forum) will give you one as he has mine.

Annette