From: STytko@compuserve.com
Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 03:48:14 -0000
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: A Beginning Beekeeper's Chronicles-Part 1

A Beginners' Chronicles: The story of a beginning beekeeper

I don't know if my story will be of any interest to anyone else, but
I have decided to keep a journal of sorts about my experience in
getting started in beekeeping. The actions I take, the decisions I
make, as well as the mistakes I make might prove useful to others
thinking about getting into this activity called beekeeping. It has
been, and continues to be a learning experience and any discussions
these chronicles initiate will certainly add to that experience. So
please feel free to comment, enjoy or ignore my musings as you see
fit.

SOME HISTORY
To make a long story short, my brother and I were exposed to
beekeeping when we were kids. I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland,
Ohio. My Dad kept a few hives on some property in the country-a hobby
he learned from his grandfather who was a farmer. Due to health
problems with arthritis, a couple of bad winters and a busy life
running a business, his colonies died out and were never replaced.

Fast forward about 25 years. It is the year 1999. I am 36, have an
understanding wife, a toddling son and a golden retriever. After
several years of working and saving the wife and I buy our "big"
house, where we are going to stay for a long time, raise our family.
We locate in a more rural city, south of Cleveland. Old memories of
beekeeping nag me from the recesses of my mind, as they have off and
on for as long as I can remember. I begin to think about putting a
couple of hives on the back of the lot. If nothing else they'll make
the garden a huge success.

The landscaper I hire happens to also own and operate an apple
orchard about a half mile down the road. Figuring he might know the
local laws regarding beekeeping I ask him about it. To make another
long story short, I find out that the gentleman that was keeping the
bees in his orchard passed away, leaving a couple of dead hives and
one good one in the orchard. Attempts to find someone willing to keep
bees in his orchard were in vain. I was welcome to set up shop at his
place. Needless to say, I take him up on the offer. At about the same
time my brother comes to visit, see the new house. He asks if I
thought about putting some bees in the backyard. Apparently the "bug"
of beekeeping has been haunting him too. I tell him about the apple
orchard. We team up to get back into it. After all, a box full of
honey is pretty darn heavy.

We buy hive boxes, frames, foundation, bottoms, tops, smoker, veils,
hive tools, all the necessary equipment. Rescue some stuff from the
back of Dad's garage. We pound together boxes, assemble frames,
insert foundation. My wife is a big help too. She becomes an expert
on frame assembly. Winter comes, we order 4 packages of Italian bees
from a supplier in Georgia that was recommended to us. Now it is
Spring 2000. Bees come. We install the packages. Feed them
diligently. Add more boxes. Everything seems to be going well. Hives
look strong. Apples are plentiful. Everyone is happy. We don't get
much honey, but we really didn't expect to the first year.

During the summer and the subsequent winter I read about bees and do
research on the Internet. I start at beekeeping.about.com. Find lots
of links and information. Work my way to a site called beesource.com.
Read a fascinating series of articles by the Lusby's regarding cell
size and mites. We didn't treat our hives the first year, but figure
we'll have to do the strips and all that in the Spring. I don't like
the idea of putting chemicals in my beehives unless it is absolutely
necessary. The Lusby's story captures my interest. I think about
things. I have 4 hives. I don't depend on this for my living. I
decide that come spring I'm going to try converting my hives to 4.9
mm foundation and retrogressing my bees. As luck would have it Dadant
begins selling 4.9 mm foundation. I figure this should be pretty easy
to do. I order another 4 packages of bees. I get more equipment. The
new hives are going to be started on 4.9 mm foundation, the old hives
will be converted. And I'm going to go without chemicals. I'm out the
cost of the original foundation, but should make that up pretty
quickly by not spending a pile of money on strips and other
recommended treatments.

Preparations are made, equipment assembled. It is early Spring 2001.
We get a nice day, finally. I pull on the boots and head to the
orchard to see how the bees made it through the winter. A total
disaster! While I expected one or possibly two hives to not survive,
I lost all four. One had the lid knocked off, so those guys probably
froze. And something (raccoon or skunk?) pulled the entrance reducer
off of another hive and left it on the ground. They probably froze
too. But the other two were dead also, and I still cannot tell you
why. They had plenty of honey in them. Maybe snow drifts covered them
up and they suffocated (we had plenty of that this winter). It is at
this point that I realize I am not yet a beekeeper, but a guy who has
some bees in some hives. Or rather had.

In spite of this setback, I am still determined to get new bees and
raise them on 4.9 mm foundation and forego the chemicals. Let nature
take Her course.

I contact Dee Lusby via Email and ask a few questions. She is very
kind to respond, offering advice and encouragement. Introduces me to
this forum.

THE STORY BEGINS
May 3, 2001-The post office called this afternoon saying that my bees
were in, would I please come and pick them up. I'm ready and have
been waiting. I call my brother to let him know and we agree to meet
at 5 pm. I get to the the orchard a bit early to make sure that the
boxes are set up and everything is ready to go. We install the bees,
set up the Boardman feeders and get out of the bees' way. Apple
blossoms are beginning to bloom and they have a lot of work ahead of
them.

May 6, 2001-I have been stopping out at the orchard to check on the
feeders and top them off as necessary the past couple of days. All
seems to be going well. Bees are coming with pollen baskets full of
pollen. Lots of buzzing around the entrances. Except for one hive.
For a few days I see only a couple of bees around that entrance.
Feeling the situation requires going against the conventional wisdom
of leaving the bees alone for a week after installing the packages I
lift up the top on the hive and look in. Queen still in her cage and
maybe 2 dozen bees in the hive. Not what I was expecting to happen.
Apparently most of the package moved out to the other 3 hives.
Another lesson learned. I should have faced the hives in different
directions instead of all facing south.

May 7, 2001-It is a beautiful day. Sunny, mid 70's. Late morning. The
bees should be out and about pollinating all those apple blossoms. I
go to the hive, check on my problem box. Still pretty much an empty
hive. OK, I decide to try the old switcheroo. I swap the one hive
that has a lot of activity with the one devoid of bees. Hopefully the
returning field bees will strengthen it and I might be able to
salvage the colony. If not, I have a queen with too few attendants.
As I get ready to leave there seems to be a lot of activity at the
entrance of the problem hive. I just hope I'm not dooming the
stronger box I swapped.

May 8, 2001-It rained most of the day, but the afternoon cleared up
and the sun came out. Went to the orchard to check on the feeders.
Topped off the jars and sit and watch for a while. Since it is
starting to get dark there isn't a lot of activity anymore. A few
bees come bearing pollen. A few buzz around the entrances. All seems
well. I decide that tomorrow I'll open up the hives, make sure the
queens have been released from their cages and cells are being
drawn.