The instructor was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor about how beekeeping worked. I know a lot more than I did on Friday, and I actually feel more relaxed about the things I was worried would trip me up. She would explain how things were supposed to work, then tell you that it wouldn't work that way, but you would figure it out!
The main question I had going into the class was "How do I get bees?!" The answer is you order them. They come in a screened box, with a metal soup can looking thing that feeds them sugar syrup. In the box is also a much smaller box, about the size of a matchbox, that holds your queen. I can order it from Dadant, in Watertown, and pick it up there. Interestingly, Dadant is the author of "First Lessons In Beekeeping", the book I am planning to buy as a reference. Apparently, the author is an ancestor of the Dadants who run this business. They are 7th generation beekeepers. I think I'm in good hands. Bees cost about $60-$70 for a package. They are sold in weights, and I'll probably buy 3 pounds. I will be able to pick them up in April.
I also met the Honey Queen of Wisconsin. Emma and Ginny would have been so impressed!
2 comments:
I liked the fact that yo will get 30 to 40 pounds of honey. Wow those bees are industrious. What a neat hobby. Not for me since I swell up when I get stung.
Maybe the world will survive after all if there are so many people bringing bees a place to thrive. I had seen a show where there is a place in China where the bees have been decimated and the people have to hand polinate their fruit trees. I did not want to have to volunteer for that in your new orchard and I love the wild plums from your yard. Go Bees Go!
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