We met a friend/mentor at last month's county beekeepers meeting: Bee Jeff. We are so grateful to have this expert guidance as we start our hive. Our hive is ready and waiting in a patch of sun that lies on the border of our garden. We know so much about how to care for a hive naturally and without chemicals because of a two-hour lecture we recently went to. Yet we have no idea what it will be like once we have the buzz in our own garden!
On Sunday we visited Jeff's house, where he has four thriving hives (two in his yard and two on his roof!) We learned about how to reduce veromites, collect pollen, and catch a swarm. We got our first up-close-and-personal experience with a hive. We opened one and got to see all the drowsy action on a cold morning. If it's below 65 degrees, you shouldn't open the hive too much. They always keep their hives at 95 degrees all year round to keep the brood nest and queen happy.
The coolest part is that Jeff has collected lots of swarms in the past and the second swarm he captures this spring might be ours! Exciting and terrifying...
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