Hi from upstate NY

BillyMac · May 25, 2009, 10:49:26 PM

Hi all,
I live in beautiful upstate NY. I'm located just southeast of Syracuse. My wife and I have 4 wonderful boys ages 12, 10, and twins 8. I got bit by the bee thing last summer. My oldest son and I were building a birdhouse on our back deck when the sky was darkened by a cloud of insects. We investigated and soon realized we had a swarm of honey bees on our property. The swarm settled on a small blue spruce. We were very excited!! We called a beekeeper who came by and captured the swarm. We were hooked. I found the whole process absolutely fascinating and over the next year read books, talked to beekeeps, and watched many you-tube videos on beekeeping (including the beemaster himself). This spring we started two hives. The whole family is into it. I have always been into insects and animals and I just dig this bee thing. We live on 8 acres of fields surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland. We have a chocolate lab (fudge), siamese cat (luna), small turtle (blade), and a small backyard flock of chickens :). So why not a small apiary. I came across this website and have to tell you I have been perusing the forums for about a month. This is a great website for newbees! I look forward to picking your collective minds and already have some questions. I'm gonna post them in the forums as I know this is getting longwinded. I apologize, but really am excited to be a part of beekeeping.

Billy Mac

1reb · May 25, 2009, 11:35:23 PM

Hello and Welcome Billy Mac
There is alot of great information on the forum !!
The members here are willing help and answer your questions, all you need to do is to ask

Johnny

GaryMinckler · May 26, 2009, 08:26:12 AM

Hi BillyMac. This is an awesome place for a beginner and a commercial beekeeper as well. Any question you have will be answered. Southeast of Syracuse is NOT upstate NY. I'm 120+ miles further north. Have fun with the bees.

lenape13 · May 26, 2009, 09:07:21 AM

Hello and welcome to the forum. :-D It's a great place to learn and share. Enjoy your new hobby!

BillyMac · May 26, 2009, 08:14:33 PM

You aren't kidding. Hermon is UPSTATE for sure. I'm sure I'll be asking you for advice on overwintering the bees! Thanks for the welcome.
Billy Mac

Cindi · May 30, 2009, 10:58:48 AM

Billy Mac, welcome to our forum, so great you found us. Well...you have found out now that you are held deep under the spell of the honeybee, you are compelled to be with them. You have a busy life with four children, beautiful, and twins, even more beautiful. Stick around, you will have a place to spend the most wonderful time, along with your family and bees, a place to tell your stories, tales and experiences, a place to make new friends. Have a wonderful and most awesome day, to love and live this great life, health. Cindi

BillyMac · June 01, 2009, 11:00:39 PM

Cindi,
Thanks so much for that warm welcome. I do consider myself extremely blessed!! I love my family and greatly enjoy doing the many things we do together. The bees are an absolute blast!! You are absolutely right, I am under their spell. It's funny how I can absolutely relate to that same exuberance expressed in many of the posts on this forum. It's interesting how some people just don't get this fascination with bees. Too bad for them. Thanks again!
BillyMac