New-bee here! (sorry, couldn't resist). I'm from SW Michigan and this is my 2nd year in beekeeping. My hubby and 13 yo daughter help in this venture, and they're very supportive! Despite my generosity in leaving all the honey in my hive overwinter, my ignorance killed the bees when I didn't vent well enough, and they froze and died. I was able to harvest 3 gallons of honey with our home-made extractor. Rookie mistake that won't happen again.
We had an unseasonably mild winter, and the fruit trees and plants that usually begin blossoming at the beginning of May and last 10-12 weeks have all blossomed at once and it's almost over! The plethora of dandelions in my yard are a saving grace :)
I ordered another 3# box of bees coming from GA, and I also picked up a nuc from a local guy. The nuc is doing great so far, and the package is due in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to some hearty mutt bees in the future!
Got my first swarm call...wish it were a branch, but no, it is in a tree hollow about 7' up, and they want to protect the tree as much as possible. I have lemongrass oil, but not sure if I want to do a trap-out or vac-out or what. Going to see the sweet ladies in the morning. Any opinions? Hubby is willing to home-brew a vac after the success we had with our home-brew extractor! Fortunately, it has also whet his appetite for building our own boxes! yay!
Grateful for the forum! I know I'll learn much and hope I can help others in the future! Thanks in advance to all who are helpful!