Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => GREETINGS/TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF => Topic started by: Danielle42 on April 19, 2013, 03:24:16 pm

Title: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Danielle42 on April 19, 2013, 03:24:16 pm
Hi all

I'm a new beekeeper setting up two hives on my porch in Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. My two nucs won't be ready until mid/late May so I'm filling the bee-less time by painting the equipment and reading up on all kinds of bee issues and debates like foundation vs. foundationless, types of feeders, etc. I'm an organic gardener so i'll probably go the natural-organic beekeeping route as well

Looking forward to learning and chatting with y'all!

Danielle
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Vance G on April 19, 2013, 04:21:59 pm
Welcome and hope you study the right things.  Foundationless is fine, it is just a more advanced management technique than using foundation.  If you are going to be comfortable and have the time to regularly straighten comb to stay in the frames, it works well.  It is much easier to draw foundation and then place foundationless a frame one at a time between frames of capped brood.  Then foundationless is drawn nearly perfectly.  I also applaud not using chemicals gratuitiously.  I recommend you study Michael Bush's website or buy his book on Amazon.   There is a good organization in Maryland for you to follow.  somdbeekeeper.com I believe is the address.  Their Pragmatic Beekeeper forum has people local to you and the best advice is local. 
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Joe D on April 19, 2013, 07:28:27 pm
Welcome to the forum, Danielle.  Good luck to you, it will become an addiction.





Joe
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: tefer2 on April 19, 2013, 08:45:19 pm
Welcome to the forum Danielle.
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Georgia Boy on April 19, 2013, 09:40:26 pm
Welcome Danielle.

I to am new. Get my first bees tomorrow. A package and then two nucs later. Hope to have 4 up and running soon.

I am going to start my pkg on Mann Lakes PF120 frames and then switch to foundationless as Vance G described using Walter T. Kelley companies F style frames. They have the top bar cut at 45 degrees so the bees can use it as a comb guide and lay down straight comb.

Good luck and do check out Michael Bush's web site. He has a lot of good information on there.

David
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Steel Tiger on April 20, 2013, 02:03:08 am
welcome
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: Alchemist on April 20, 2013, 12:07:22 pm
Danielle,
Not sure which side of DC you are on but there is a beekeeper's club in Southern Maryland which meets every other month at the library in Charlotte Hall. Very active, very educational, and very interested in helping new beekeepers. Members range from Walter with 47 years (and 1,000 plus hives) of professional experience to those of us who were "born yesterday" as beekeepers.
Yearly membership is an outrageous $5.00, but the information available is priceless. If you are not too far away for 5 or 6 trips a year, send me a pm to my email address on my profile page and I'll get you the information about the club.
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: AllenF on April 20, 2013, 02:23:58 pm
Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: Newbee in DC Area/ Maryland
Post by: hardwood on April 20, 2013, 02:31:20 pm
Welcome, hope we can help you get started!

Scott