Post by simplynaturalfarm on Feb 23, 2013 14:30:20 GMT -5
My SIL brought up to me that she would be willing to raise some bees in her extra hives and she will extract the honey in exchange for the bees IF they live through the winter. Everybody here replaces their bees yearly, but I have to say the only people I know who have them don't do anything much - they take honey and they never know how much to take vs. how little, they don't feed them, they don't add supers or anything and not only that, but they are smack dab in the middle of sugar beets and spraying constantly.
I think I am willing to try it with SIL as I dearly want some good raw honey this year, but DH said let's look into a couple of hives of our own. I am anal and so I will try my darndest to do everything to the best of my ability and he has time this year to help as he has gone to part time.
we have a lot of CRP around us so not AS much spraying and I'm hoping for good pollination on our trees and such even if I get no honey.
I am doing serious research, but would love to make some contacts with other cold weather bee keepers to get advice and help. I have looked for a local beekeeping association but it does not exist and most of the beekeepers have gotten out of it due to constant winter kill.
What forums do you recommend? What is your favorite bee keeping book (i've been reading the recommendations here, but maybe there are more
What equipment can you not do without? (yes, I am researching everything BUT I find you guys usually have gems I don't know about LOL)
Any websites you find tremendously helpful or otherwise and I will read them all. And Dh says give him some research to do also as he is interested - he likes things that are "his" because most everything we do here is mine that he helps with. When he has something of his own, he does VERy well at it (you should have seen our garden last year - he spent every evening weeding and harvesting and it was GORGEOUS LOL). I think beekeeping would be up his alley and I would love it too!
I think I am willing to try it with SIL as I dearly want some good raw honey this year, but DH said let's look into a couple of hives of our own. I am anal and so I will try my darndest to do everything to the best of my ability and he has time this year to help as he has gone to part time.
we have a lot of CRP around us so not AS much spraying and I'm hoping for good pollination on our trees and such even if I get no honey.
I am doing serious research, but would love to make some contacts with other cold weather bee keepers to get advice and help. I have looked for a local beekeeping association but it does not exist and most of the beekeepers have gotten out of it due to constant winter kill.
What forums do you recommend? What is your favorite bee keeping book (i've been reading the recommendations here, but maybe there are more
What equipment can you not do without? (yes, I am researching everything BUT I find you guys usually have gems I don't know about LOL)
Any websites you find tremendously helpful or otherwise and I will read them all. And Dh says give him some research to do also as he is interested - he likes things that are "his" because most everything we do here is mine that he helps with. When he has something of his own, he does VERy well at it (you should have seen our garden last year - he spent every evening weeding and harvesting and it was GORGEOUS LOL). I think beekeeping would be up his alley and I would love it too!