Hello all, my name is Brian and I'm an addict. At first, it was just a little sting. My nervous system informed me that it was pain that I was feeling. But the warm fuzzy feeling I was also feeling suggested something different and more sinister. Then I started stealing a couple of stings in the morning and by early evening I was drunk on venom. Now I'm hooked and I don't think a twelve step will help me at this point LOL :laugh:
I started last year helping a friend pull honey, then helping his friend pull some honey, then working for a migratory beekeeper prepping hives for California, then participating in spring queen rearing down south. That's when I caught my first swarm, then a second swarm, making two splits off the second swarm (it's nice to work near the fountain of queens), and finally doing a cutout of a renegade swarm that decided to make their home under a four way mating nuc. That was actually quite an enjoyable experience, one of those things you never forget doing. So now I've got 5 hives and a five frame nuc, reading all I can whenever I can, sweating bullets about how I'm going to get more supers before the goldenrod and end of summer honey starts hitting (they've been making really good on a huge stand of milkweed less than 500 yards from the yard).
I've gained quite a bit of valuable experience, made some boo-boo's, and just dying to learn more about what make these little critters tick. I just wish I'd found out about honey bees a lot earlier on in my life, I thought being a machinist toolmaker was the end all be all of existence!
I lurk around the internet, here and beesource, reading as much as I can, getting to know what works best for me and my bees. Beekeeping is so interesting and multifaceted. One of those things in life where there's no one way to do something, sometimes works better, sometimes worse, truly an art-form worthy of my attention. I can't remember exactly why I joined the forum here, but today I read a dire warning to people who join and never post being removed, so I thought I'd better get involved before gettin' the boot!
So, instead of just sitting here blathering on about much of nothing, I'd just like to give you all a hearty HELLO and thanks for keeping bees!
Brian in central New York
Welcome to the forum, Brian.
Jim
It's too late for you. Maybe you can be a warning to others...
Welcome to the forum, Brain. I will have to agree with Mike, it's to late for you. You are now a bee junkie, so join the crowd. Good luck to you and your bees.
Joe
Welcome, Brian. Please also get hooked up with your local Bee Club(s). Learn from them, and teach them what you have learned. Getting to work for a commercial operation gives you a whole new perspective. If you haven't found Michael Bush's website, there is invaluable info there as well.