What is it about beekeeping that draws us in? Why do so many of us wonder from afar for years, but eventually find ourselves installing our first hive?
What concerns do we have before we start down the path towards becoming a beekeeper and what holds us back? And when we do answer the call, what challenges face us as we install our first bees...and beyond?
This column is the story of one man - Keith Stiles - as he considers beekeeping and eventually makes the decision to jump into this wonderful hobby.
Keith documents his concerns and excitement as he investigates beekeeping initially and then his decision-making as he purchases his equipment, tools, protecting clothing - and his bees.
Then we share in Keith's progress as he starts out learning about bees.
This column is largely for the benefit of fellow new beekeepers.
There is, of course, a huge amount of information about beekeeping available on the Internet, books and other outlets.
And while PerfectBee strongly recommends that new beekeepers find a mentor and perhaps join a beekeeping club, there's also an educational and fascinating element to looking over the metaphorical shoulder of someone else, going through the same challenges and with the same concerns.
So this column is largely about empathy - following another beekeeper, like you, just starting out, with bright hopes and high ambitions for his beekeeping exploits.
Keith Stiles is a native of North Carolina who travels the country working with colleges and universities implementing event scheduling software.
When he's not on the computer and working with his clients, you will find him either in his flower gardens, singing with the First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir and the Haywood County Community chorus, beekeeping or practicing and playing the organ.
Growing up in the country, he was exposed to all kinds of livestock including his grandfather's pet bull, Patrick. Keith has two fur babies, two cats named Aragorn and Arwen. Yes, he is a Tolkien fan.
Keith holds both an MBA and an MA in English Literature. His Master's thesis was written on tales in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales that had elements of what would have been known as "medieval magic". Not only a music lover, he also is a voracious reader and is never anywhere without a book nearby.
With my two weeks at the corporate headquarters behind me, I was looking forward to seeing what had happened in my apiary. As I mentioned in my last post containing more bee musings, I missed my hard-working ladies! There are many updates to share including some significant surprises. My absence meant I was unable to […]
August is a good time to be considering what treatment regimen you will use to battle Varroa Mites. So this week, I completed a survey of Varroa Mite treatments to help me determine what I want to use. Before we examine my survey of treatments, there are important updates from the bee yard that I […]
Last week's blog post centered around providing information about the various options for treating Varroa Mites. This week I had the opportunity to attend our beekeepers club's annual Varroa Mite Workshop with our region's state bee inspector, Lewis Cauble. After this workshop, I have come to a decision about my treatment option for Varroa Mites. […]
Last week, we completed our discussion of Varroa Mite treatment options and I shared my choices for treatment. This week I will be dealing with a few questions that have arisen including dealing with wax moths and some initial discussion of preparing for overwintering your colonies. But before we tackle those issues, let's talk […]
Last week, we rounded out our discussion about preparations for fall and winter. We also discussed what robbing behavior is and how a beekeeper might deal with it. This week, I put in place a couple of techniques to stop the robbing attacks. Those techniques appear to have worked as I will relate shortly. So, […]
Last week, we discussed various educational resources available to new beekeepers. Hopefully, those resources will be as useful to you as they have been to me. This week, we are going to explore one of my other passions, gardening, specifically flowers, shrubs and trees. But before we talk about honeybee-friendly plants, let's talk about some […]
Another week has passed and we edge ever closer to the silence of winter in the bee yard. To say that I'm not looking forward to that silence would be an understatement. I have grown accustomed to sitting by my hives and watching the bees coming and going as they forage for pollen and nectar. […]
By this time of year in western North Carolina, we have had at least one if not more frosts. But this October has brought unseasonably warm days, with no hint of frost. The bees are foraging for whatever nectar and pollen they can find. And surprisingly, they are finding plenty of pollen and I would […]
What is it about beekeeping that draws us in? Why do so many of us wonder from afar for years, but eventually find ourselves installing our first hive? What concerns do we have before we start down the path towards becoming a beekeeper and what holds us back? And when we do answer the call, […]
After weeks of abnormally warm weather, the first signs of cooler weather made their appearance in western North Carolina. Two mornings provided temperatures in the lower 30s with light, non-killing frosts. These cooler mornings produced little activity in the apiary. As we moved into late October, the cooler weather finally began to make alterations in […]
