Mentoring

I had a good experience yesterday.  I went and visited a beekeeper that supplies me with all of my packages that I include with my hives that I sell.  I had to pay him for the 65 packages that I ordered (wow! what a check).  I have worked with this guy for a couple of years and he is one of the nicest beekeepers I have met.  He has been keeping bees for over 40 years and currently runs about 700 hives.  He has so much knowledge and is so good about letting me ask questions.  One day I would really like to shadow him for a day and absorb everything I could.  We talked for about an hour about everything from what type of foundation he likes to use to how to get a strong spring build up.  He gave me some encouraging words to build up my confidence after such a horrific winter and sent me on my way excited and motivated to be a beekeeper.

I think I have mentioned on this blog before, that my experience is, a lot of beekeepers are very territorial and protective of their knowledge.  It was so refreshing to find someone that was willing to take the time to make you want to be involved in beekeeping.  Rex has always been good to help me and yesterday was no different.

We need more beekeepers.  It is good for the individual, community, and the progression of beekeeping and honey bees themselves.  My goal as a beekeepers is to get others excited about keeping bees.  I didn't get into bees to make money (thank goodness since I may never make any He He), but I did get into it because I love honey and I love my garden and bees help me with both.  The more I learn the more I understand just how important bees are to each of us. I have learned so much in my four years of beekeeping.  I cannot wait to share it and start another season her soon.

This weekend should be warming up a little for us on the Wasatch Front.  Take a few minutes and make sure you check on your hives.  If they are alive, make sure they have food and are in good shape to make it until there is natural pollen and nectar.  You may consider putting on a pollen patty to help them start rearing brood.  If you do, you have to put it almost right on the cluster.  I typically cover half the cluster with it and leave the other half so they can move around.  If they don't have honey, I would feed them sugar water if you do it by weight you will want to go 2 parts water 1 part sugar.  If you start to feed either syrup or pollen, you will need to continue until there is a natural supply available.  It is worth it to feed them to make sure they make it through (trust me).  FYI, it might give you a little something I like to call Bee Fever.  Once you get it, spring can't come fast enough.

Happy Beekeeping.