Hello world,
Just saying hi from rural King George, Virginia. For those who never heard of the place, which is probably 99% of humanity, it's about halfway between Washington and Richmond, not far from a town called Fredericksburg. By vocation I am a software developer. /* (Insert gratuitous emoticon here) */
I am about to be a new beekeeper, once my two packages arrive. They are running a bit late, because the weather down in Georgia has been cool and rainy. That's okay, though; more time to make sure all my preparations are in order- and to do some mushroom hunting (morel season is in progress again- yay!).
So why am I getting into beekeeping? To tell the truth, I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I've always been interested in bees and the prospect of taking care of them. And I will certainly appreciate their services for the blackberries and raspberries and other bee-pollinated plants in my garden. And, yes, I do have a sweet tooth, so the honey won't be thrown away...
I realize that beekeeping isn't easy and that success isn't assured; for example, the beekeepers of fifty years ago didn't have much of a problem with varroa or tracheal mites, or small hive beetles. I hear that the rate of colony loss even among experienced beekeepers is in the neighborhood of 30%. Nevertheless, by educating myself, by learning from my mistakes and those of others, and especially by persisting in the face of adversity, hopefully this will turn into a lifelong hobby.
Gosh, writing this self-introduction feels kind of awkward and embarrassing, like leaving a message on a stranger's answering machine. Anyway, enough of this long-winded introduction; see y'all in the posts.
Regards,
Tim