Friday, December 30, 2011

Starting Beekeeping?

H2 and Art have had two hives, tended by beekeeper Noam, on their roof for the past couple of years. Since they started, I've been thinking about tending my own hives on my roof.

I'd like to have feral bees, ones that have by their very existence, shown that they have the genetics to survive without treatments, pesticides, or other human intervention. The philosophy is outlined in books like The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping, sites like Michael Bush's, and by the Backwards Beekeepers.

Here's a nice video of Backwards Beekeepers Kirkobeeo demonstrating how to capture a feral swarm.



I'd like to find a local beekeeping group that does this kind of work. 

I'm not sure how interested I am in doing this -- bees don't have any special hold on my imagination, and I'm a little unsettled by the prospect of a steady dose of bee stings.  Then again, I felt the same way about chickens this time last year, and look how well that experiment turned out.

4 comments:

Mr. Homegrown said...

Hey Bruce,

Do it! Happy to chat with you over the phone or skype about "going backwards". Backwards beeping is cheaper and involves a lot less intervention. Compared to that awesome coop you build it's an easier project in some ways.

As far as stings go, I can also advise on the right suit and how to use it (I learned the hard way!). I took a hive out of a wall with two other people recently and did not get a single sting.

And . . . Happy New Year to you, Heidi and Art.
-Erik

Bruce said...

Hi Erik,

What a generous offer. One I'll take you up on.

Right now I'm trying, without much luck, to find a source for some feral bees. Failing that, I'll have to buy from a supplier, a process that could take me away from the small cell, chemical free path I want to take.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to BK has some good advice on how to make Plan B work.

I'll be in touch with you in the next few weeks with some questions.

Happy belated NY to the Root Simple gang.

H2 said...

And to you, Erik, from H2 and Art, a 2012 rich in all good things.

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