Now that we have a dedicated forum here I though I would start a thread here for all you mazers who want to make your own honey for your mead. Here are some facts and some questions you may be asking yourself about this interesting hobby.
1. The bees don't want to sting you! They know they will die if they sting you. They only sting to defend the colony. In reality honey bees are very docile.
2. Is it an expensive hobby? Like meadmaking it is as expensive as you make it. Although you are going to spend about $200 to get your foot in the door.
3. Do I need a lot of room to keep bees? No, you only need enough room to put the hive and store extra equipment over the winter. Honey bees will thrive just about anywhere.
4. Honeybees are not native to this part of the world, they were brought here by setttlers. Native Amercians refered to them as White Man's Fly.
5. Honeybees are a primary source of pollination for agriculture. In fact in the last few years the state governments of North Carolina and New Jeresy have given away bees to people interested in keeping bees because the agriculture industries in those states were suffering from the lack of pollination for crops.
6. Is it difficult to keep bees? No it is rather easy, there is a learning curve, like any new hobby. Be prepared to do some heavy lifting at the end of the season. For the most part the bees take care of themselves with little work on your part but to keep an eye on their health.
7. What do the bees do during the winter? Honey bees make honey and store it for the winter. During the cold months they will cluster together to stay warm and feed on honey until the weather gets better. They don't hibrenate and if your lucky they don't all just die off..lol
8. Are there any special rules about keeping bees? This depends on your state. It is best to call your local agriculture extension or see if your state has a state bee inspector about these details before you begin. You may also want to check with local ordinances in your city or township.
These are just a few questions I could think of that newbees may be asking. So here is your chance to ask all you ever wanted to know about Beekeeping. There is more than a couple of us here who are more than happy to share our knowledge!
1. The bees don't want to sting you! They know they will die if they sting you. They only sting to defend the colony. In reality honey bees are very docile.
2. Is it an expensive hobby? Like meadmaking it is as expensive as you make it. Although you are going to spend about $200 to get your foot in the door.
3. Do I need a lot of room to keep bees? No, you only need enough room to put the hive and store extra equipment over the winter. Honey bees will thrive just about anywhere.
4. Honeybees are not native to this part of the world, they were brought here by setttlers. Native Amercians refered to them as White Man's Fly.
5. Honeybees are a primary source of pollination for agriculture. In fact in the last few years the state governments of North Carolina and New Jeresy have given away bees to people interested in keeping bees because the agriculture industries in those states were suffering from the lack of pollination for crops.
6. Is it difficult to keep bees? No it is rather easy, there is a learning curve, like any new hobby. Be prepared to do some heavy lifting at the end of the season. For the most part the bees take care of themselves with little work on your part but to keep an eye on their health.
7. What do the bees do during the winter? Honey bees make honey and store it for the winter. During the cold months they will cluster together to stay warm and feed on honey until the weather gets better. They don't hibrenate and if your lucky they don't all just die off..lol
8. Are there any special rules about keeping bees? This depends on your state. It is best to call your local agriculture extension or see if your state has a state bee inspector about these details before you begin. You may also want to check with local ordinances in your city or township.
These are just a few questions I could think of that newbees may be asking. So here is your chance to ask all you ever wanted to know about Beekeeping. There is more than a couple of us here who are more than happy to share our knowledge!