Welcome - Explore my Blog

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

Want to Pin this post?

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

My Brother Barry is Becoming a Beekeeper

I was so thrilled because my brother Barry decided that he wants to keep bees. He came to Atlanta for the Short Course in January and went home and ordered equipment. He knows a commercial beekeeper in Natchez, MS where he lives and is getting bees from that man.

I went to Natchez this past weekend to help Barry put his equipment together. I had a great time and didn't take nearly enough pictures, but here's an overview.



We built and painted ten medium hive boxes. I took him two deeps because I believe the man from whom he is getting the bees will be expecting him to have deeps and not medium boxes. So we painted those as well. We also painted screened bottom boards, slatted racks, telescoping covers.

Barry single-handedly built 79 frames (one of the 80 broke!) The Walter Kelley jig for frame assembly is a convenience that I never want to be without. It was so much more efficient to build frames with this jig. Took a little getting used to - we goofed twice and had to take the frames apart to get them out of the jig. Barry became a master of the jig, though, in the end.

We then put wax foundation in all his frames and I set up the two basic hive boxes to show him how to do it. I also showed him how to hang the frame rack on the side, how to remove the second or seventh frame when you first open the box.

He had fun the whole time, but he really smiled when I showed him how to light the smoker.

I hope he will love the bees the way I do and will get into the zen of beekeeping!

11 comments:

  1. Aww how sweet! I hope he loves it too :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. OK, OK, OK, super

    http://picasaweb.google.sk/milan.bencur/FotoPripravkuNaZbijanieRamikov#

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yea! That's great, the world needs more beekeepers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow that's great Linda - Is he starting a blog too ?

    ReplyDelete
  5. No way! That's awesome. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:29 PM

    What a wonderful hobby to share with your brother. He is lucky to have such a wonderful mentor as yourself.

    Have fun

    Sincerely
    Annette From Placerville California

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5:42 PM

    Oh,yes. It is wonderful to share ...
    Roger Morse did. Please, read his book on beekeeping.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brenda6:42 AM

    i got my brother in to beekeeping last year. It's been fun to have someone to share the process with.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Barry -- This is Ginger Peabody. It's fun to see you on Linda's blog, where I lurk and learn a lot. My bees, now in their third year, are not doing so well, but I'm plugging away. Linda, I have had such a lot of enjoyment sharing your beekeeping experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Ginger! Where are you? Maine? Your bees have a challenge. I forwarded this post to Barry so he'll see it. Hope you have a good bee year.

    ReplyDelete

Pin this post

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...