I think this might actually happen.... I was having a hard time believing that it would happen. But despite broken bones and various other obstacles it is happening!Thank God for Fathers, eh! Dad offered to help me set up my skids and cement blocks out in the swamp, now called the Bee Yard. (I'm not sure if it classifies as a bee yard with only 2 hives, but it's a start) and it looks like Dad will also become a beekeeper, so even better!
It wasn't so simple as just finding free skids (Thanks Home Hardware) and buying some cement blocks, we also had to clear the trail back about 200 yards from the road so we could easily navigate to the yard.
I used the bull cutters to cut away smaller branches and brambles - trying to do this with my left hand and various other body parts, excluding the right hand. But we got it done!
While we worked I noticed a lot of bumble bees working the area so I think my bees will be happy with the place. There's skunk cabbage, tons of trilliums, dandelions, pussy willows, cedars, hard wood trees, wild strawberries and wild raspberries. As well, there are farms all around the swamp and fields of alfalpha.
The bees are on order for June and this weekend I'll be in Guelph, Ontario attending the Integrated Bee Management Program course. It's teaching how to take care of your bees once you've got them - I'll report on that later. I'm just glad my arm is healed enough that I can write to take notes.
5 comments:
Barbra I just started Yesterday got my first hive of Buckfast bees. One thing I want to point you out to doing your bees Organically and to reduce the size of the bees to smaller cells. What your going to learn from Guelph is how to medicate your bees. Well I want you to learn from this site
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/
As All I have learned is from them and I have come away with more knowledge at keeping your bees healthy without medicating them.
Good Luck!
George
Brantford Ont.
Thanks for your comments George. I was a member of Dee Lusby's Organic Beekeepers' group for about a year. I have done considerable research on the topic on both sides - medicating and non. I've decided that for the first two years I will do traditional beekeeping. That way I can learn the historic and modern approaches. From there I may consider going with Small Cell and a more natural approach to keeping bees.
Well Barb just hope you don't run into problems due to pests as you know Dee claims she does not have vorra mite or other pest problems due to smaller cell.
I bought PF100 foudation at 4.9mm and these bees I got are on 5.4 so once these two brood foundations I got hatch I plan on removing them so that they are forced to use the 4.9 Both foundations are full so hoping they go to the plastic and start building on it.
I want to give you my email so we can stay in touch but I don't want to post it on here unless your able to take it off once you get it. Let me know.
George
I would like to keep in touch George and hear your progress. I debated long and hard whether to start with small cell and after a lot of consideration I decided to go the traditional route first to gain experience and then look into natural - the OBA Tech Team are running two bee yards, one is organic and one not but they don't teach on it yet.
You can email me at barblindberg(at)rogers.com.
I hope you do well with bees and small cell. Let me know of your progress.
Yay Barbara! It sounds like things are starting to go your way. How cool that your dad wants to beekeep as well! Jess
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