My New Unexpected Hobby of Bees

Reader Contribution by Malisa Niles
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A couple years ago, my husband developed an interest in bees and beekeeping. I already had an interest in honey. I add it to a lot of meals and use it in canning. For Christmas in 2012, I gave him a homemade certificate good for one hive. I was going to make him one. Well, it got added to the to-do list, and you know how that goes …. and goes ….

My husband purchased a wind turbine in the summer of 2013 from a man near Worthington Minnesota. While he was picking up the turbine, he managed to also purchase three bee hives, bee equipment and some wine-making supplies. Which is probably a good thing, my “present” seemed to moving way down the to-do list.

My husband spent the rest of the summer and fall learning about bees by reading books, articles and talking to beekeepers. In February 2014, I ordered bees for his hive. First step in ordering bees is to find a supplier. I found one in Northern Minnesota. Mann Lake, Minnesota, is our neighbor to the east. Step 2 is to determine how many you need. I ordered two 3-pound packages of Italian bees, which include a queen. A package of bees contain about 14,000 bees. One package of bees are needed for each hive. I planned on having two hives. I chose to pick up the bees at the company the first weekend in May.

As plans usually go in our household, things change. My husband took a job that required he be gone the first week in May and the weeks proceeding it, so I had to have a crash course in beekeeping. I managed to get the hives assembled and placed. It is recommended they be placed in a shaded protected location away from sprayed fields and high traffic areas. I placed one in our tree belt and one on our friend’s farm.

When it came to actually picking up the bees, I will admit I was a bit nervous. I sent the company a couple emails with questions like how do I transport them? Do I need a trailer? They were helpful and thoroughly answered my questions, but I bet they chuckled under their breath. I was told I needed no special transportation equipment, a car is fine. I should plan on getting the bees in their new home that day or the next at the latest. Dusk is the best for introducing bees to a hive. When I set up the hives I learned I was missing a few pieces, so I asked if their store would be open. To that, they said yes.

The weekend came, and off one of my daughters and I went. It was a long ride but having one on one time with my eldest made up for it. We arrived about noon and the place was packed; an organized mad house. We hit the store and bargain cave first for supplies, then picked up the bees in the warehouse. They were in little escape proof cages made of wood and screen. They rode all the way back to South Dakota on the backseat. (My 10-year-old quickly moved up front.) It was a quiet ride, but I will admit the first fly that flew by made us jump a bit. Close to home, we swung through a fast-food drive thru and had the windows down for fresh air and scared the lady at the window so bad she ran away and never came back. Someone else had to give us our order. We all arrived safely back to the farm without any strings or great mishaps.

I had better save the next step in this journey until tomorrow’s blog. I had better get buzzzyy.

By the way, when you are a beekeeper everyone thinks their bee puns are funny. :/

  • Published on Jun 26, 2014
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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