Sunday, March 29, 2009

Bees: We're getting them

Introduction to beekeeping seminar: huge success. Fellow students were about evenly mixed between hard-of-hearing retired people and scrawny young men with scraggly little ponytails and ear tunnels. And then there was me, the only non-ancient square person. Though I'm not, by instinct, a lover of bees, Doug , our enthusiastic and very entertaining teacher (see left), made me want to install hives not just in my own back yard, but in the yards of everyone I know. So watch out.

It appears we can get completely outfitted for about $300, then spend 30 minutes a week on maintenance, and hope that none of the many sad fates that befall honeybee colonies (diseases, mites, skunks, drought) befall ours. Eventually, if all goes well, we will have a happy garden, happy bees, and absurd amounts of honey.

I'm only worried it's too late to order bees for this spring. Calling tomorrow. Next: chickens.


3 comments:

  1. how about bears? do they have them in your neck of the woods?
    don't they love honey? or is that only in disney cartoons?
    do you have to get bee insurance in case they crossbreed with african killer bees and take out your neighbors?
    won't you need a brand for your honey?
    how about Tipsy Bee ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here's a link in The Kitchn to a chicken article you might like. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/gardening/look-chickens-in-san-diego-back-yard-080522

    ReplyDelete
  3. What does one do with a lot of honey? I mean, one household can only use so much. I think the previous Anonymous is right that you'll need a brand.
    Tipsy Bee was a good suggestion.

    ReplyDelete