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Author Topic: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.  (Read 6599 times)

Offline Natalie

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Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« on: April 10, 2009, 11:09:25 pm »
I got my first bees today. I picked up 2 nucs and put them in the hives.
I ordered my protective gear but it was delayed somehow, don't ask me.
I just ended up wearing jeans and a sweatshirt that had a hood in case I needed it and figured what will be will be but hoped for the best.
They were so quiet, stayed on the comb, no crazy flying around that I felt fine about it.
Everything went so well, my smoker lit right away and stayed lit, but I really didn't even need it.
It was truly a great experience, I didn't feel nervous at all but I am sure its was due to the demeanor of my bees that I was able to be relaxed about it.
I even saw the queen when I installed the second nuc, that was a nice surprise.


Offline Cindi

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2009, 11:19:14 pm »
Oh Natalie, welcome to the world of the beekeeper, of which you are truly now one keeper of the bees.  Doesn't it feel just so ding dang good, yay for you!!!  You think that you have been held captive remotely by the spell, well, girl, you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Enjoy those girls.  I know you will take good care of them, and they will do the same for you.

Beware wearing hoodies around the bees.  Just a little bit of advice.  Bees love to go into dark places, like climbing up pant legs, slipping into the openings in shirts (like sleeves).  Picture how dark the entrance to the side of a hoodie is, smiling that big smile.  I am very happy that your bees were as gentle as they are, and were not overly curious, you may have found a few sneaking into your hair, getting stuck, and then......well...let your imagination fly!!!  Welcome to this world of the honeybee, I am very excited for you.  Have that wonderfully great and awesome day, love our life that is so worth our love, health.  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 tlynn

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2009, 11:33:42 pm »
It'll be re-elly official when you get your first sting!  :shock: :shock: :shock:

Offline hankdog1

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2009, 11:51:43 pm »
Congrats!!!
Take me to the land of milk and honey!!!

Offline slaphead

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2009, 12:03:18 am »
Congratulations Natalie.

Sounds like you have some nice gentle bees.

SH
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - FDR, 1933

Offline JP

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2009, 12:06:54 am »
That is just wonderful Natalie, you are gonna be amazed and overjoyed. Congratulations on getting your bees, Ms beekeper!


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Offline annette

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2009, 12:07:59 am »
Sounds great Natalie

Glad your first experience was great. Mine wasn't, it was a fiasco.

Keep us informed how things are coming along with them.

The fun begins
Annette

Offline Natalie

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2009, 10:56:31 am »
Thanks everyone!! It is really exciting.
I can't believe how well it all went.
I was a little apprehensive that I hadn't recieved my protective gear but once I realized how calm they were I was able to really enjoy the experience.
Now I just have to try to remember everything I have learned about management and just keep on learning as much as I can.
My 6 year old son is enamored with the idea of beekeeping, I got him his own protective suit for Christmas and he took the beekeeping course offered at my club.
He likes to have me read the American Bee Journal with him and explain the pictures/articles he points out.
He has gone to some field demonstrations already and he is so comfortable around the bees its amazing.
He told me he wants his own hive and his own bees.
This is going to be an awesome thing for us to share.

Offline JP

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2009, 11:11:24 am »
Your son has one "hip" mom. Yrs from now when people ask him how he became a bee keeper, he can proudly exclaim, "my mom and I kept bees together when I was 6."

How awesome is that!


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

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Offline DaveKow

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2009, 01:39:00 pm »
Another human roped in by the bees.  What a great feeling!  Congrats!

Offline Natalie

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2009, 04:10:52 pm »
You guys are so sweet. Thanks for all the nice comments.
I know JP, wouldn't it be great if he kept with it all his life, I can definitely see that with him.
He raises his own chickens too, after I got chickens he wanted his own so I started his own flock for him and he really does take care of them without me even having to prompt him.
He heads out every morning to feed and water them and let them out to free range, collects the eggs and then he locks them up at night too.
I looked out the window the other day and saw him cleaning his coop all by himself.
He even has his own egg selling business and handles that very well too.
He has been doing it for a year and the novelty hasn't worn off for him and I am impressed with how responsible he is for a child so I think he has earned a hive.
I am going to surprise him with his own hive for his birthday.
Its one thing to help me with the hives but its another thing to have that sense pride of ownership and commitment to something.
Then he can have his own honey selling business too! ;)
I am sooo excited about this you guys!!

Offline tlynn

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2009, 05:41:19 pm »
That's awesome!  What great lessons to learn.  Entrepreneurship, animal care and management, family connections...very cool!

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2009, 10:11:00 pm »
It'll be re-elly official when you get your first sting!  :shock: :shock: :shock:
So four years into beekeeping without a sting means I'm not a beekeeper?  Good to know!  ;)  Kidding......

Good for you Natalie, we installed three packages today, as usual I had no protective gear on, but the cold weather slowed them down considerably - all three went smoothly!

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2009, 10:36:57 pm »
Way to go Nat!!!
 Wasnt that just the greatest thing to do? I mean putting bees in a box?...AND Not getting stung????I didnt get stung when I did mine either, but I sure did over the last 2 years afterwards! :-D
 Can we trade sons?...Mine doesnt even....well......never mind!
 and, Tlynn.....no stings yet????..You dont know what youre missing!!!!
 Stings make me mad, but afterwards, they crack me up!!!
 Oh yeh....Nat,...you have a new name now too!
"Natalie, Natalie, The Girl with the Honeybee!"
Cant wiot till the next chapter from you!

your friend,
john

Offline Natalie

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2009, 01:20:22 am »
 John you're too funny, its alot better than that one my brothers came up for me huh?  ;) :-D
Maybe you can write a new song about me.  :-D

I definitely got lucky with these bees, I had to go out this morning because I wanted to switch some frames and change to a different feeder and I was in my pajamas and slippers.
My husband was like are you going to wear what you have on to do this and I said well if they act different than yesterday I'll go in and throw something else on but I'll go like this for now.
I normally would have gotten dressed beforehand but I was in line for the shower (large family and one bathroom)
I was fine though. My sons came out to check the bees out and no one had any bees flying at them or anything like that and they were peering right into the hive.
They got to see the queen in each hive, which was great because once the colony builds up I know that they will be alot harder to find. It seems that we have some good bees.
I know thats not to say the next ones won't require me to suit up, but I am enjoying these ones right now.
We were lucky to be able to get our bees yesterday.
It was absolutely gorgeous out, beautiful and sunny but today it was cold and rainy.

My son is a great kid I am really proud of him,he is so excited to get his diploma next week from the bee school.
The instructor came up to me the other night to make sure Aidan would be there for the last class because they are having the class picture taken and giving out diplomas this week.
The only class he has missed was when he was in the hospital last week for asthma.
 In fact this will be good for him to have as a hobby because during the allergy season is when his asthma gets worse and he has to limit his physical activities after an attack until things settle down and it also just so happens to be "bee season" so its something to keep his mind off of it.
I am looking forward to getting some of our own honey into him for his allergies and I just heard that beeswax is good for preventing asthma, I don't know how true either of them is but I am going to give it a try.
I'll have to start taking some pictures to share.






Offline Natalie

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2009, 03:40:57 pm »
The two hives I started on saturday are bringing in a ton of pollen.
There has been a flurry of activity the past two days in front of both hives and the girls have their baskets full of bright yellow pollen, some of them are so heavy with it they can barely make it in the door.
Its been sunny here the last two days and they start going out around 9:00 a.m. or so.
I don't know where they are exactly finding it, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot blooming but they are getting alot of it from somewhere.

Offline Damonh

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2009, 03:56:01 pm »
Congratulations Natalie.

Sounds like you have some nice gentle bees.

My son and I have been beekeeping for three years the time really flies.

Enjoy.

Offline 1reb

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #17 on: April 14, 2009, 04:30:44 pm »
Congratulations Natalie
Johnny

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #18 on: April 14, 2009, 04:55:42 pm »
The two hives I started on saturday are bringing in a ton of pollen.
There has been a flurry of activity the past two days in front of both hives and the girls have their baskets full of bright yellow pollen, some of them are so heavy with it they can barely make it in the door.
Its been sunny here the last two days and they start going out around 9:00 a.m. or so.
I don't know where they are exactly finding it, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot blooming but they are getting alot of it from somewhere.

Look up, Natalie, at all of the blooming trees, red maples, birches, elms, they're all going at it right now.  That's their first pollen source, and I believe they can get nectar from the red maples, but not a lot.  There are more things blooming than you know!  Ours are hauling in pollen, too, it was so nice to go out to the coop and hear the bees humming in the background again!

Offline woodchopper

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Re: Well, its Official. I'm a Beekeeper.
« Reply #19 on: April 14, 2009, 05:32:50 pm »
Congrats Natalie. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your new girls in their new homes.
Every man looks at his wood pile with a kind of affection- Thoreau

 

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