Aside from having a backyard rural farm and all the crazy that goes with it, being responsible for the survival of one or two Italian Honey Bee colonies puts even more pressure on us to be a thriving self sustaining garden community of good food and medicinal plants. Making sure the bees have all that they need for survival is just as important as making sure the garden plants and trees thrive as well. We are up for the challenge and look forward to this exciting part of our journey.
As we found out yesterday morning, our animal and personal food supply as well as equipment are in jeopardy due to a “rat bastard,” who has helped themselves to a ‘chew’ fest. Luckily none of the bee hives were damaged by the terror of a beast whom I liken to being the size of a Great Dane or a large Kangaroo. The damage is vast and costly but we are on top of it! As of this morning, the only thing new that has been whittle down with teeth is the treat I made for them two nights ago. Even though the ‘Salted’ treats are harmless anything but a rodent, we have placed it where we know the rat feasted most. We’ve also purchased 5 animatronic owls that are motion activated with sound in a 20 foot radius. Those will go around the yard in every direction. Will see if they work as well!
Our bees are set to arrive anytime between mid-April to the 1st week in May. We are getting them from an established colony located on a local farm at least 20 miles away. As I’ve mentioned before, Mike is also hoping for a wild swarm capture. We have purchased Italian Honey Bees for our first colony. It will be small in size but with start up help, the colony should establish itself inside the hive quite quickly and begin to grown. Italian Honey Bees are gentle in manner and good honey producers. Chances of getting a lot of honey this summer are slim but we will get some. Next year the colony should be strong enough to produce 3.5 to 4.5 gallons of honey. I hope so as I want to share with others as well as keep what we need too!
In the meantime, Mike is gathering all of the supplies and equipment from the attic to clean, making sure it is in good working order. He’s checking out both smokers, the Honey Extractor, his two complete bee suits plus every other piece of equipment and tool needed to raise bees in the best way possible. The hives are in perfect condition as are the feeders so he is well ahead of the game. By keeping all of what is needed to raise and keep bees, he has saved thousands of dollars in start up costs.
He’s had to a few items that had not fared well over the years but not many. He updated his bee suit, hat, netting and gloves but kept the first one of each as a backup. He’s spent about $1000 to upgrade and replace but if he were to start it now for the first time, the start up cost would be upwards of 5K. You can go a cheaper route but it’s still going to cost you a couple grand and not be as safe for the bees. Just something to think about when starting up beekeeping. Mike is a good resource/guide if you are thinking about having a hive and working with bees.
Mike is pumped for this adventure! It’s our “go to” conversation from sunrise to sunset, quite often chat sessions in between and late into the evening. It’s his passion. He LOVES his bees. He loves every part of taking care of his hives from their little inhabitants to gently acquiring their honey to making sure they have enough food for themselves during the winter. The BEES and their survival is his top priority. Mike even bought hive blankets or ‘wraps’ to keep the cold out of any unrepaired crack the bees may have missed in the hive. You think our chickens are spoiled and pampered? Just wait. . .
If you are at all interested in raising bees yourself but don’t know where to begin or if it’s for you, let us know in the comments below and Mike would be happy to answer your inquiries and guide you. For all questions about medicinal uses and benefits, direct them to me. Until the next blog, happy bee watching!
Love, Light and Peace