Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Just getting interested  (Read 2335 times)

Offline BRIANCJ

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 21
Just getting interested
« on: October 18, 2008, 09:36:36 am »
I have been interested in getting in to bee keeping for some time now,have been lurking on this site for a while,find it most useful.I will be purchasing hives,bee's and equipment soon for gearing up come spring.
I live in New Castle County,De.and have a mentor who quit beekeeping a while back but will get back into it now that his interest is piqued again.

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2008, 10:56:36 am »
BrianCJ.  Welcome to our forum.  That is wonderful that you have an interest in keeping bees.  The more that you learn about the bees, the more that you will find that you want to learn. This place will be your assistance in learning to keep bees, to become a great beekeeper, lean on us, for questions, anything.  This is a place where you will be able to ask your questions, tell your stories, tales and experiences, and you will also make some new friends, we love to listen, we are a nosey crew, and we love new members.  Welcome.  AND...have that most wonderful and awesome day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline 1reb

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1698
  • Gender: Male
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2008, 07:44:55 pm »
Hello and Welcome BrianCJ
There is alot of great information on the forum.
If you have a question just ask and someone will answer it for you.
Johnny

Offline DennisD

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 54
  • Gender: Male
  • Catchin' the latest buzz
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2008, 04:30:08 pm »
Good on ya for wanting to begin beekeeping!

I'm a newbie to beekeeping as well. I have a few hives and even watching them do their thing is entertaining.
A little advice from a noob, gather your necessary equipment as time/money allows for as things can move quickly as unforeseen opportunities to get bees present themselves at the most unforeseen times! There may be "nuisance" bees living in a barn or a shed that someone will want removed, and I have discovered that this is an excellent way to get bees. Your mentor can be a huge help in this, especially in teaching you how to safely grab these bees up and hive them.

However, if it is your intention to wait until spring to have bees, you have a little bit of time to spare, but not much, there is plenty to do in preparation before spring. Making up hive boxes and supers, frames, etc, fun to do and quite necessary. Get yourself a good smoker, find/gather free natural fuels for it, practice lighting it and keeping it going, special emphasis on keeping it going, initially, it can seem as if your smoker will go out when you want to use it the most. ;)  Practice getting good cool smoke out of it with the lightest squeeze on the bellows. A good thing to have down allowing you to use the least amount of smoke and you're not choking or burning your bees with the hot gases from your smoker.

Again, prepare for bees, I don't know the weather patterns of your location, but where I am, it is very warm nearly year around with very cold but short winters making beekeeping activities nearly a year 'round pursuit.

It sure is a great way to manage stress and an excellent hobby that is both active yet relaxing. When I'm working my bees, my wife does NOT come out to the backyard to "bug" me.  :evil: :-D

As far as the people 'round here. In the short time I have been here, they seem quite friendly and always willing to talk bees.

Cheers!

-Dennis

Offline forester801

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Gender: Female
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2008, 12:30:58 pm »
I have been reading this site for a few months.  I tried to attend a bee course this spring but due to work I only went to about 1/3 of the classes.  It was a busy fire season here.  I started 2 hives very late this summer and feel like I have so much to learn.  We have a 85 acre farm in SE NC and about 45 acres of that is in young blueberries.  I got the bees for pollination, we are just starting out on our farm was in soybean a few years ago, and we can't afford the rental fee for hives yet.  I will keep reading to look for answers for my questions it seems other new beekeepers have already asked the same things.




Offline 1reb

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1698
  • Gender: Male
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2008, 01:13:17 pm »
Welcome to the forum, forester801

Johnny
 

Offline Melilem

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 112
  • Gender: Female
    • New England Bee Photos
Re: Just getting interested
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2008, 10:37:33 am »
haha that's funny, did you re-interest your mentor in bees again? That is a good demonstration of your level of passion, you will make a fine beekeeper!