:) Hello to All,
Joined a couple of weeks ago and must have missed this section when first looking around. Been visiting and reading since Jan of this year. Its become our favorite (of the 15 or 16) we visit.
My Wife and I are both in our mid fifties going on twenty. Have raised six children between us and now have three grand children. My wife kept bees earlier in her life (had twenty hive for 10 years) and as a kid I helped with the neighbors hives (couple of hundred back then) a couple of years. I'm retired/disabled from the US Army (Quad C4-5-6) since 1981. We have 135 acres of hay and cattle in south central Alabama. We try to be as organic as possible. Our 2nd oldest son lives with us here on the farm as do my parents, my brother and his family, my youngest sister and her family, and my wifes youngest daughter and her family. Thankfully, we have most of them living a little over 1/4 mile away along the east end of the farm, we live in the middle.
We are just getting into bees this year. So far we have assembled and painted two complete deep double broodhives, there frames, and two 5 frame nucs with frames back in Febuary. The two nucs were placed with two older (than us) beekps who are starting them with bees/brood/honey/pollen. One was to have been picked up this weekend but the beek had a death in the family so its postponed. We have obtained all the required equipment (most was donated by the wife of a now deceased beek) and are anxious to get this show on the road.
We are both glad to hve found this site and proud to participate. :)
Hello and Welcome!
Glad you found us - this is a great forum to learn more about bees.
Are you connected with a local beekeeping club? I've found it very valuable to know nearby beekeepers: mentoring, borrowing an extractor, and having someone to talk to about bees without boring them silly!
http://www.k4vb.com/REg%20bkpeg%20assoc%2012%2006.htm
I've found the 'search' function on this site to be quite useful as well. Many times I've found that my question has already been asked & discussed, and I can get an immediate answer.
Lastly, if your interested in organic beekeeping, let me recommend Ross Conrad's book, Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture. I just returned it to the library - it's a good book.
We look forward to reading about your adventures with bees!
HAB, good, thank you for that introduction. You have some interesting stuff going on at your place and I bet there are tales to tell. That is very cool that you have so many relatives sharing your property, a commune, shall we say, hee, hee. I am the same, but we are only on 5 acres. We share this land and work it with my Daughter, her Husband and my two Grandsons, 8 and 13, my Sister, her Husband and their 6 children, aged, 6 to 18, life is wonderful and busy and man is it cool. So, you will have experiences and stories to tell us of your bees and life, that is good. Beautiful and wonderful day in this great life we all share. Cindi
"Are you connected with a local beekeeping club? I've found it very valuable to know nearby beekeepers: mentoring, borrowing an extractor, and having someone to talk to about bees without boring them silly!"
Yep, the S.E. Alabama Beekeepers. Love the monthly meetings. Usually 4 of us go each month. :)