Friends have asked us questions about beekeeping. So although once again we will be taking a break from beekeeping this summer, in honor of World Bee Day we are answering some of the more common questions that we get.
Q: How did you get into beekeeping?
A: We became beekeepers when I thought getting pets would teach Asa responsibility. His options were either sea monkeys or honey bees. Once we realized sea monkeys weren’t actually monkeys, we decided to go with honey bees. Well that, and bees do amazing things to help the environment, especially gardens and fruit trees, and their honey has many health benefits, including for dogs. Turns out they are fascinating little friends too.
Q: Where do you get honey bees?
A: We work with local apiaries. In the winter, usually around January, we pre-order bees from one of them. Then in April the beekeeper will drive down to a bee farm in Georgia, fill a U-Haul type truck with the orders, and return to Maine with their precious cargo. There are companies that ship bees through regular delivery services. But we feel having a beekeeper, who knows how to handle bees, and are traveling direct with no unnecessary stops, reduces the stress on the honey bees. Once in Maine, we either pick up the bees in their sealed travel box at the apiary, or some make pre-arranged stops at rest areas along the way. Honey bees need to be installed in the early spring. Occasionally you will find apiaries with bees for sale, but it is best to pre-order.
Q: Is beekeeping difficult?
A: Well yes and no. As with any new activity there is a learning curve. We highly recommend you take a beekeeping class. Many communities have beekeeping clubs, that offer these classes, as well as regular meetings. We find working locally helps, because they often pair new beekeepers with mentors who can answer questions not covered in the class, and help with some of the trickier tasks. Before becoming beekeepers we also recommend attending open hive days at local apiaries. There you can watch a beekeeper at work tending the hive, while answering questions. Open hive visits also help to acclimate you to the loud buzzing of the bees, which can be a little unnerving at first. Once your hive is established, there is regular maintenance you need to do to monitor the health of the colony. However, overall honey bees are very self-sufficient and go about their work without little help.
Q: What is the most challenging part about being a beekeeper?
A: Keeping the queen healthy and safe! A queen bee is the heart of the hive. She guides the other bees to work efficiently to make sure all the needs are met. Without her, a hive can fall into chaos, and even die. Some queens die of natural causes, such as old age. Most times the worker bees are prepared for this, and will breed a replacement. Other times a queen will die suddenly, with a successor not at the ready. It takes about 16 days for a colony to produce a new queen. Some hives are more successful than others in producing a new queen, but some apiaries do sell replacements. You just have to hope her kingdom accepts her. Other times you lose the entire hive when the queen is not pleased and tells her loyal subjects it is time to swarm to find a new home. Then there are the constant attacks by critters who feast on honey and/or bees. We’ve dealt with everything from tiny sugar ants, to mice, skunks and raccoons, to even a baby bear attack! This is when it becomes heartbreaking to be a beekeeper.
Q: How do you harvest the honey?
A: Harvesting that is a lot of fun! The frames go into a honey spinner / extractor, and hand cranking releases the honey from the combs. It is sticky, messy work, but oh so delicious! Usually hives are harvested in mid-summer and/or early fall. But you must be sure NOT to take all of their honey! The bees need it to feed as well! They need honey for food during the long winter ahead when they cannot make honey. It is interesting because the taste of the honey is influenced by the pollen source. So you can taste the difference between each seasonal batch of honey. Taste variations can even be detected between honey produced at local apiaries.
Q: What is the best part about beekeeping?
A: Well one would assume the honey, of course. But for us, we love watching the honey bees! They are fascinating and docile little friends. Often we would see them buzzing about the yard gathering the pollen. Sometimes they would land on us and rest their wings. And put aside your fears of getting stung by a honey bees! As long as you are not threatening their queen, or being hostile to them, they will just happily go about their work. It is fun watching them return to their hive with their saddle bags of pollen on their legs. Or on hot days when they “beard” on the outside of the hive trying to cool off the inside. On cold winter days, we would stand close to the hive and listen to the reassuring buzzing of their wings, letting us know they are keeping each other warm. But have to admit the fall is our absolute favorite time to watch as the female bees evict the male drones for the winter! You see the males’ only role is to fertile the eggs, they do not make honey. With winter approaching, no new eggs need fertilizing, and they only eat the food the rather than add to it. So out they go! And those girls are fierce! We’ve watched them drag the boys out, and block the entrance as the males fight for their survival! But what really surprised us about bee keeping is how the individual hives each have their own personalities. Some are well, busy as bees, while others take a more relaxed approach to filling their hives with honey. Some be can a little more protective than others, while other hives are welcoming little friends when work needs to be done on the hive. This is why we name our hives, as we can follow each one’s personalities.
If you’d like to learn more about beekeeping, we highly recommend contacting your local beekeepers association. There you will find friendly folks and helpful information to get you started on this rewarding activity!
