(05-25-2023, 03:19 AM)VioletDove Wrote: I love that more people are getting into beekeeping. I’ve been tossing the idea around for a couple of years but haven’t gotten brave enough to do it yet. I’m not scared of getting stung, I’m afraid of doing something wrong and losing my hive.
A few months ago I talked to someone who has bees and wanted to add some more hives but was having a hard time finding any. So I didn’t even look into getting started this year. I’m hoping to get brave and try next year.
I noticed earlier, in the shoutbox that @"Rodinus"#19 mentioned he’d caught some wild bees for his hive. Maybe he’ll stop by and give some pointers.
Good luck with your endeavors!
Getting stung doesn't really worry me; as I said, I've been stung plenty of times by much more hostile critters. When I was younger, I was stung by a red wasp on my eyelid! Thank God I closed my eye when I did. I spent the next hour getting the pain under control, then the next week exterminating the little buggers wherever I could find them in the most agonizing and cruel ways I could think of. Hint: one shot of WD-40 and they literally drop from the air and lie there with their evil little bodies twitching uncontrollably as they slowly die in agony. And with a little care, WD-40 makes a pretty decent flame-thrower, too.
Like you, I'm afraid of losing a hive though. I can afford to set one up, but only once.
The thing I like about bees is the sae thing I like about chickens: no feed, no constant working with them, just check once in a while to make sure they're healthy and gather the rewards. I've raised cattle, pigs, goats. and rabbits before and they're expensive to maintain and a lot of work on a regular basis. Chickens are easy, and it appears bees are too.
I just want to get it as right as I can the first time.
TheRedneck