Talked to my Beekeeping neighbor

[nepenthes]

 :-\

I talked to my beekeeping neighbor, found out that The area we are in, has horrible honey production, he gets like 160-200 pounds from his 6 hives. The state average is 60 per hive. He also lost 5 hives this winter, while some one 3 miles away didn't loose any. hopefully theirs some honey locusts near. I might have to plant some. coon's are also a problem. I just hope they do well, My Mentor, who was recently in the paper about CCD, gave me 4 Competely drawn out frames for each of the two hives. I still don't have the hives completely painted, Im gonna get the stuff finished and hopefully They will be ready when the Bee's get here. Which is a week from WED. APril 4th...

STRESS! I also have 3 big assignments, 2 major quizzes, and oh just not fun. Im also supposed to be buying a car, helping out with AG stuff to get an assignment in, and just stress.. Ill be happy when I'm holding 8 pounds of bee's freaking out.

The fun of being a beekeeper. I MIGHT just have to move my hives to the old house I don't know though which is better though, It will just have to work out here this year though.

[buzzbee]

I have faith that you'll accomplish all you set out to do.Don't worry about the honey production first year except for building the winter stores.this year will be mostly for learning and any extra honey is a plus.If you have to you can feed in the fall but if theres a good golden rod flow they will likely put a lot away.
Have a good day Cody!

[likes2grill]

I dunno how your gonna get all that other stuff done when you get your bees next week. I couldn't bring my self to leave'em once I got them home from my mentors house. That just made my year!

[AndersMNelson]

Don't worry!  I started beekeeping last year, and I was stressed out too.  I got my bees during exam week, which was hellish, and still managed to get my beekeeping experience rolling.  Now I struggle through school but still manage to go home enough to take cake of them.

[kgbenson]

"I talked to my beekeeping neighbor, found out that The area we are in, has horrible honey production, he gets like 160-200 pounds from his 6 hives."

Perhaps it isn't the area.  There are a lot of things that go into producing honey, genetics, skill of the beekeeper, differences in weather from one year to the next.  Don't assume you can't do better that that.  You might be very pleasantly surprised.

In the meantime don't stress.  Set up your bees and feed, feed, feed.

Keith

[KONASDAD]

I got 3 gallons of honey my first year and was very satisfied w/ that. The thought another "pasture" is better, but somewhere other than my yard is of no consequence to me. The joy and learning you experience by having your hives close to your house  is too important to give up for a few gallons of honey the firts year. Besides, your neighbor might not be very good(They dont have the power of "BEEMASTER" knowledge!!!). You will find yourself going to the hives before breakfast for a look, before you go into the house after school, in the evenings while MP3'ing and the like. You will learn at what times of the day they "play", gather pollen or nectar. Which plants in your yard they like and at what times of the day. What they do at certain temps. Carrying out dead foragers is a whoot when you first see it. SOOOO much more you'll learn by having at least one hive in your yard. My frist year goal was to get them winter ready. I had some uncertain moments, but my two hives were great as of yesterday. This years goal is no swarming and real amounts of honey.

[Atti]

I know the feeling. I am hooked! I just checked on the bees ,that had coloniesed an old hive I was given, yesterday after I got my new gear. I can't get enough of them, I walk by to see who is flying in and if everthing is okay. My kids are also really interested in learning more. It is great! Good luck on your set up. Try to set up everthing the way you like so you won't be stressing about that when you get your bees. It is harder to make changes when the girls are all buzzing around you.