GIVEMEONE's post got me thinking about our introduction to beekeeping last year: 14-year-old son wanted to try bees so last year we built a bunch of equipment and ordered two packages. One absconded, one crashed. We were done in less than a month. Frustrated didn't cover it.
This year, we found a local beek who said he'd get us two nucs. We waited, waited, and had just given up on him when, mid-May, he called and asked if we could come that evening to pick them up, just bring covers and bottom boards (huh?). Apparently, his supplier in Florida was behind. We arrived at dusk to a pickup truck full of what he called "California Nucs" which were 10-frame mediums full of bees, honey, pollen, and new queens! As we transferred two boxes to our trailer, one frame dropped out of the bottom of a box. (The tabs were broken) He just grabbed a frame from another box and dropped it in. Needless to say, we had a bunch of angry bees flying around!
Got the bees home, set them up on their stands with a second box and let them get settled in. We inspected a week later and they were drawing out new comb on the foundationless frames (needed a little "adjusting") and there were frames FULL of eggs and larva! We were excited! We're in our fourth week with them now and added a third box yesterday. We'll probably do another full inspection next week just to see how everything looks, but it appears that all is going superbly!
All of that to say that I know EXACTLY where GIVEMEONE is coming from. The books don't give this "hobby" justice with their perfect world descriptions. This forum has been an immense help simply from listening to everyone's struggles, problems and successes. Murphy is alive and well in the beekeeping world but it's an addicting venture to say the least!
J-
Yep............ Murphy was also a beek!!
For the most part any beek that says they don't have mites or beetles just isn't looking hard enough.
G3
I have to say that this forum has been the best resource I have found. I have several books but like you said they only go so far. the folks here are great and between them they have had almost every thing happen that can so a lot of real experience to draw from. Just wanted to sing the praises of this forum!
It is amazing how the lows make the highs that much higher!! I've been through similar, and know what you refer to about not being able to describe it but wanting to share it!
There are so many variations of what to do, how to do it, and how I like to do it that books can only give a good starting point, where the forums are (imo) more confusing but another step in the journey.
Rick