Dear Mom,
With two beekeeping seminars behind me and still a lot to learn, I've decided to just do it--beekeeping! I ordered my bees from Wildflower Ridge Honey Farm in Anderson last week. I will pick them up there on April 24.
Photo of an Italian honeybee from Wikipedia
"How will I get them home?", you ask. Um, I'm not quite sure how that part works yet. But I can tell you that the bee colony is in California right now, pollinating the almond trees there. When they come back to Wildflower Ridge Honey Farm, the colony will be split. A new Italian queen will be added to the split, and the bee colony will become Italian! Volare!
The Italians (bees, that is) are less defensive, very clean, and make good honey supplies. Michelle from Ohio, whom I met at one of the seminars said, "Italians are lovers, not fighters!"
Here is a sneak peek at the "Bee-Ginner's" kit I am ordering. The hive is an English garden style from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Inc.
Here is a sneak peek at the "Bee-Ginner's" kit I am ordering. The hive is an English garden style from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Inc.
La dolce vita!
Love, Bonnie Jo
8 comments:
Yay! How exciting :) I can't wait for your kit to arrive. You will *have* to show and tell!!! ~ Suzy
You are too fun! My dad use to have bees in his fields of sunflowers in northern Minnesota. I'm going to have to ask him about them. Can't wait to hear about this adventure.
That bee house is way cute! I cannot wait to taste some of your home grown honey.
kim
p.s. I will not be knitting bee sweaters.
Bonnie Jo, I'm Janet's Monday sewing group friend and my Papa was a beekeeper for many years. If you need any pointers (including how to get a bee out of your hair), just let me know. I have the stings to prove my lineage as a beekeeper's kid! Cindy L
This is fantastic. Bees are probably the Number One most important part of our food supply. But, you already know that! I can't wait to follow the bee-keeping project. Aunt Chris
I have fond memories of my high school sweetheart whose father was the county bee inspector. Every spring, he had to help his father bring hives to a large orchard in our county for pollination. I still remember how his cute face would always have a beesting or two every spring...and how my grandmother (who met him during one of these times when he had a badly swollen eye) thought he was into boxing! Good luck with your project!
You're going to love having your own bees. I got my first hive last spring and have thoroughly enjoyed watching them. Mine are Italians also and I was able to feed them (sugar water to help them get established) without even putting on my bee suit.So far I have not been stung (although I'm sure it will happen at some point!)
Can I sign up for some honey? Puh-leeze?
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