Beginning Beekeeping Naturally

[beenatural101]

The best ways are often the simplest, and I offer my tale as a good example of one of the ways to start natural beekeeping. First of all, you have to have some interest, knowledge of the current crisis or be observant enough to notice no honeybees or very few. I noticed no bees, and began reading, but I am a reader and have read many things. So I acquire the knowledge of the situation and a desire to return the honeybee to my little patch of woods. I also read so many things about the honeybee my wife is tired of the subject. Being broke, I never found the money to buy the stuff, with kids and all life etc... Continued with my reading and ran into a hobbyist beekeeper, never even saw his bees. In fact, 2 years later I helped him get new bees. Well one day at work, a maintenance man comes up to me "You know a beekeeper don't you?" I am like "Sure, Why?" "A swarm of bees landed on this piece of equipment out back while about 25 midlands tech students were looking at it.Everybody ran screaming. They want to spray it I won't let them, we need a beekeeper. So after calling up someone at the club. I stood out back and watched this swarm. All peaceful, but it didn't look like many bees to me. To shorten this up, this guy comes all in a hurry and knocks em in a box and gives em to me.
I got me about a pound of bees and a cardboard box for em. OK.
Got home, Put em under the house, got up real early the next day and left for another adventure. Come to find out it aint too easy to come up with a hive on Saturday when you don't know any beekeepers really. Found me a cute little garden hive and dumped the bees in at dusk. The next day they were flying, and 2 days later I had comb and some eggs. Had an old fella that helped me out on the phone, still does, but we just talk now. I don't ask him "What are my bees doing?" anymore. In the 2+ years I have been learning from the bees and the almost 6 years reading everything I could about them, I know what they are doing, being bees. Predicting them is difficult beyond that. I didn't use any chemicals, didn't have the money. Still don't, but I spend $ on what my great grandfathers would have called "fancy bees", I go for the hygienic survivor stock. I throw some powdered sugar on em when my honey aint on em is all. If I could buy organic powdered sugar id pay for it, but nobody is offering it yet. I figure they got enough toxic crap to wade through just to bring home the nectar and pollen. they don't need more chemicals they need less. Mine are doing well, if I can sustain for another winter I will know I have the right idea. But I have gone through 2 full years + and lost none to mite related problems.

[beeginner]

Great story! This is where I am at right now - reading and having some theoretical knowledge. I also watch YouTube videos. However, the more I learn the more I am concerned about knowing enough. I am ready mentally. I wanted to have bees for many years and as you, I watched the bees on our fruit trees in spring and there are less and less of them. Few years ago a university prof. and her students installed about 40 hives on our property for a research. It was fascinating. However, the research came to an end after couple of years and the bees were gone. We tried to get some of the hives and the bees off the university, but we were too late. They were all gone.
So here we are. Going to start our own bees in the spring with only theoretical knowledge.
It helps a lot to be here and to read all the posts and to know that we (my husband and I) are not alone. Especially that whoever we talk to tells us we cannot do it without the drugs.
Out of few of our leads we got we came across a very interesting lady here in BC who in some way is involved in a research with bees and does them the natural way. She told me she has about 500 hives, but used to have about 1000. I can buy her bees in the spring. I am so looking forward to it.
As to the organic powdered sugar - it is available.

[beeginner]

I thought I would share this article and a video about starting natural beekeeping. Something that might encourage others to do it.
www.motherearthnews.com/honeybees-and-beekeeping/saving-the-honeybees.aspx?utm_content=01.19.11+SLCS&utm_campaign=SLCS&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email