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I've been keeping this blog for all of my beekeeping years and I am beginning my 19th year of beekeeping in April 2024. Now there are more than 1300 posts on this blog. Please use the search bar below to search the blog for other posts on a subject in which you are interested. You can also click on the "label" at the end of a post and all posts with that label will show up. At the very bottom of this page is a list of all the labels I've used.

Even if you find one post on the subject, I've posted a lot on basic beekeeping skills like installing bees, harvesting honey, inspecting the hive, etc. so be sure to search for more once you've found a topic of interest to you. And watch the useful videos and slide shows on the sidebar. All of them have captions. Please share posts of interest via Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

I began this blog to chronicle my beekeeping experiences. I have read lots of beekeeping books, but nothing takes the place of either hands-on experience with an experienced beekeeper or good pictures of the process. I want people to have a clearer picture of what to expect in their beekeeping so I post pictures and write about my beekeeping saga here.Master Beekeeper Enjoy with me as I learn and grow as a beekeeper.

Need help with an Atlanta area swarm? Visit Found a Swarm? Call a Beekeeper. ‪(404) 482-1848‬

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Raising Bees is About Raising Bees!

I started raising bees because I decided not to raise chickens.

I wanted chickens and you can have them in my county as long as your chicken house is more than 20 feet from your neighbor's house. I measured and my location for the chickens would be exactly 25 feet from her house. But raising chickens would mean getting chicken-sitters when I went out of town and that didn't seem fun and there's always the chance that you'll get a rooster and he will disturb the neighborhood. So I put the idea on hold.

When I heard about the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers' Short Course, I thought I'd take it and learn to raise bees for the honey and give up the chicken plan.

This little free swarm has emphasized what I have learned about keeping bees. Raising bees is about raising bees. I so want this little swarm to make it and feel horrible that all my moving around of the hive box resulted in their killing the queen. I have no investment in their honey production - I just want them to become a little bee family that makes it.

Today I am going to remove two frames of young brood from Mellona and add them to this new hive to strengthen it. Hopefully if they don't have a queen, they can raise a queen from the frames I give them.

I'm also going to take out the old, old comb in the new hive. This comb was the center of a nuc I got last year and is thick blackened old comb. The new bees wisely avoided those frames and moved into the new frames on the sides.

Wish me luck as I "mother" a new beehive on this Mother's Day.

2 comments:

  1. Good luck with your new family of bees Linda, I am sure they will prosper with your loving care !
    The swarm I hived last year, Matai, is doing really well and after extracting 2 supers of both Miro and Matai I was rewarded with over 50 litres of lovely honey - thank you my bees ! I do enjoy reading your blog each day. The names I have chosen for my hives are both beautiful trees here, tall and strong.

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  2. Anonymous12:36 AM

    Linda, Just found your awesome blog. I just installed my first package on April 28th.
    My Hive looks good, and my 1st inspection for brood is coming up this weekend. If that inspection looks good, I think I'll just have to come up with a cool name for it myself.
    I really just want to thank you for the info, your 1st hand accounts, and the pictures. Very informational to a newbie like me. You are the closest person I have found to Florida that has shared information this good.
    Trying to read all your stuff from last year till now.
    Thank you and good luck

    HR in Florida

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