> I have 10 Cherry trees...
> So the thought occurred to
> me to get into beekeeping.
> I am very worried about mites.
I have overdubbed the soundtrack to "The Wizard of OZ" forest scene
to make Dorothy and her companions say "Viruses, Mites, and Diseases,
Oh My!". I plan on playing the excerpt as part of a talk I am giving
in PA next weekend just to make the point that since '86, beekeepers
have focused on "pest control" so much, that many have never learned
much actual BEEKEEPING.
Not to worry - it is fairly easy to put a screened bottom board on your hive,
and simply put in a sticky board once every two weeks or so. No more effort
than changing the little "Glade Plug-In" scent modules. Counting mites is
tedious, but there are pre-designed "statistical sample" patterns that you
can Xerox onto paper and tape to your board to make counting less work.
Since you made no mention of managing these bees for a honey crop, you
will have the luxury of being able to treat things like mites anytime
you see the trend go "exponential". You will have it easier than those
who want a honey crop.
> And what do the bees do when the blooms stop?
Bees LOVE weeds, clover and other stuff that likely grows near you.
Unless you live in an endless suburban wasteland, the bees will find
enough to sustain themselves. If you have doubts, toss a 25-lb bag
of late-blooming clover seed and some inoculants in the lawn. Used
to be that the best turf mixes INCLUDED clover. Not any more, though.
> Granted I live in an area where there are lots of flowers in spring
> especially - but the long hot summers worry me.
There are LOTS of beekeepers for whom the season is "mostly over"
by July 1st. You would not be alone. The bees need a reliable
source of water during summer, but will find their own nectar as
it becomes available. They have nothing better to do with their
time, and are very good at it. They can exploit anything within
a few miles from your site with ease.
> Then there are the wet and windy winters to worry about.
> A hive in my back yard would surely get wet even inside
> from all the wet winds we have at various times.
Hive placement requires thought, but there has to be a direction
where most of the winds "come from". Call you local TV weatherman,
and ask him for a "wind rose plot". He will be tickled to get a
question from someone older than 9 years old, and he is sure to
have all sorts of data on which way to face your hive so the entrance
will face "away from the prevailing wind". There are also gizmos
called "entrance reducers", which do exactly what the name says.
Again, not to worry.
> I shouldnt have to feed artificially during the summer, should I?
Naw... the bees will do fine. You are part of a growing segment of
new beekeepers - those who simply want their gardens pollinated.
To be honest, the "bee supply industry" (such as it is) has done a
LOUSY job of seeing the growth potential in this subset of beekeepers,
and an even worse one of designing and offering equipment and
instructional materials suited for someone who wants bees for
pollination, but perhaps not honey, at least not at first.
Or, just find a beekeeper willing to put a hive near your trees
when they need pollination. If you were near me, and had a spare
$70.00, you'd have a hive delivered and removed on your schedule
by a large but friendly teenager driving a yellow Volvo wagon with
black stripes on the sides that makes it look very much like... a giant bee.
Yeah guys, I said 70 bucks a hive. "Boutique small-scale pollination
services" are a very profitable market segment. You really oughta wanna!
There's millions of gardeners out there, and they are all slowly starting
to realize what Doug has figured out.