[gconran]

Hello. Found this forum through Google. Gotta love the internet - don't know what folks did before it...

At any rate, new beekeeping interest here. Hooked up with local clubs in Virginia, will be taking lessons in January, and expect to start next April.

-Definately interested in the organic route here. the fewer chemicals needed the better, in my opinion.
-I'm also into technology and gadgets, so I'm actively reading up on things that make the beekeepers job simpler. I will definately be doing no or small-comb in the brood chambers, and looking into ventilation (beecool ventilators) devices, doing medium 8 frame standardization, etc.

Take care, i look forward to reading up on the information and knowledge this forum has to share!

Regards,

Greg

 

[noahsbees]

Hello and Welcome,

I am doing my bees organically and I hope you will find this bee forum to be very helpful to whatever Questions you have and what beekeeping clubs are you hooked up to and how many hives do you have if any?

Noah

 

[gconran]

Noah,

Thanks for your message. I look forward to collaborating!

I have no hives at present; I hope to begin this coming Spring. I am hooked up with our local club, and have been to a couple of meetings. They have classes in Spring that we (wife & daughter) hope to attend.

At present, doing a lot of reading and research.... I have bought hive components, and we're busy painting and seeing how things fit. Been loads of fun so far without the bees and the fire. Hope to add those two components soon!

I'm not as interested in large honey harvests as I am with pollination, enjoyment, and leaving the bees somewhat alone. I will be standardizing my hives using 8 frame mediums for now. Easier to lift and deal with. Not sure yet how the winter survival of these smaller hives do over our Virginia winters - I'm sure I'll find out...

I am pretty much decided on using the small comb size for the deeps. While I have purchased and will use the small comb inserts, I understand that most of the foundation one buys is contaminated with chemicals and not truly organic, I don't know that I'm intersted in starting out without foundation. I believe having a drone comb or so per hive is also needed, as well as yet another helpful way to rid a hive of mites. At the least I hope to use as few chemicals as possible. From the books I've read, this isn't always 100% achievable, but we'll see!

I expect to get a mentor out of the training I do at our local club. Not entirely sure how that will go. If I get matched with a traditionalist, I think we'll have some issues. I'm open to understanding 'how it's been done', but I'm also interested in experimentation, and new technologies.

One such technology I will absolutely be testing is the beecool ventilator. I see it's also discussed in the forums here. I like the idea of it, and it seems like a nice way to keep the hive ventilated without turning it into a wind tunnel. I like the idea over this device better than the various things I've read like tilting the hive, creating new holes, putting small gaps here and there, etc. etc.

Also really interested in doing Ross rounds. I understand it's harder than the traditional process, and conditions have to be near perfect, but what the heck - better to aim for something that is a bit different. I don't see too many folks doing the Ross rounds in our area, and if I get the chance, I'd rather be an outlier than a conformist... Of course, it'll be at least a year before I have the chance to test that theory since I don't expect to be starting with a nuc - rather the traditional route of buying a package and shake and hopefully not baking them...

Cheers,

Greg

 

[fatscher]

Howdy, neighbor

Hello there neighbor!

You have a great club in Loudoun.

Pay close attention and listen carefully to guys like Billy Davis, Bill Bundy and Jeff Pfoutz. They are the 3 wise men of Apicology if you ask me. They are invaluable in their knowledge.