I think I need a bumper sticker. "If you like honey, thank a bee and her keeper."
Larry and I started beekeeping in May of 2013. Wow! Next May it will be nine years.
What an adventure. I started keeping a beekeepers diary on my Grandma Blog so that I could keep track of our management: feeding, hive splitting, requeening, etc.
This season we have three hives, but at one point (before a bear invasion) we had six. We're hoping all three of our current hives make it through the winter so we can increase our yard in the Spring. Although we really don't want to go beyond six hives. That's enough work for two old folks.
We don't really keep bees to save money on the honey. As my husband tells people, "It's the most expensive free honey you'll ever get." Although at this point since we have plenty of equipment, our expenses are a lot less than when we started: -- sugar for feeding and new frames and foundation are the main expenses. We probably have all the "supers" (the boxes the frames go into) that we'll ever need as well as all the other parts of the Langstroth hives (bottom board, entrance reducer, inner cover, top cover, and shims for feeding).
We just enjoy working with these amazing little creatures who witness so eloquently to God's goodness and care. Many saints use bees to teach about the faith. And what did God promise the Israelites? A land flowing with milk and HONEY. And if you've ever watched honey flowing, it's a beautiful sight indeed.
If you want to read my latest entry on our beekeeping adventure stop in for a visit at my Grandma blog.
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