My son-in-law who just finished his MBA wanted to start a small business so he invited me to do a bee business with him and his friend Greg. Greg owns a farm in south Georgia about 2 1/2 hours south of Atlanta where he'd be glad for us to put bees.
My caveat was that both of them had to learn to be beekeepers, so both of them took the Metro Short Course in January and hopefully they both will continue to learn. We ordered equipment during Brushy Mountain's Christmas sale and built it all this weekend. We've ordered packages of bees from Don at Dixie Bee Supply and they will arrive on March 18.
We'll drive down to the farm and install them on the 19th. We needed to get all set up this weekend so that the weekend of the 19th would be as pain free as possible (with the exception of any stings from the bees as they are being installed!).
Cautionary note: The guys tell me that I will need rattlesnake boots (HORRORS!). They are about $200 but I'd like to stay alive!!!
At the beginning our goal is to split our 10 hives into 20 in mid-summer and go into winter with 20 hives. Then we'll work on selling honey at Farmer's Markets. I wanted to start small and simple to see how it would work for all three of us. Who knows where we'll go from there.
Here is a slideshow of all the work we did yesterday and a little this morning before driving back to Atlanta. Click on the photo to see the slideshow with captions and full-sized.
Very impressive!
ReplyDeleteIs there somewhere online that I can get an introduction to the concepts behind housel positioning? Everything I've read assumes knowledge that I don't have.
Here's a link from this blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2006/05/housel-positioning-for-honey-super.html and Dee Lusby has written about it here: http://tinyurl.com/38ns6pj Since I don't know what level knowledge you do have, I can't determine if this will fit the bill, but it helped me to understand what it's all about.
Note: There's not enough research to justify Housel positioning, but it's interesting to try it and see what works in my own hives.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you Linda. Hope you and your bees have great success!
ReplyDeleteI took my first short course this past Saturday in Tallahassee, and am so, so excited to get started. Linda, your blog is amazing; what a treasure for geeky, gushy newbies such as myself!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, Linda!
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI am so, so impressed by this new great, wonderful, business you have started. It will be so much fun following along on all your adventures with the new hives. Love the colors you have chosen as well.
I wish you so much luck and happiness along the way.
Peace be with you Linda
Sincerely
Annette from Placerville California