Backyard Beekeeping

At some point we are going to cross the threshold of "weird."  Perhaps we've already done it.

Recently I was talking to Jeremy about "the Bees" and Owen asked, "What bees?"

I said "Oh I don't think we've told you yet--We've going to get a beehive and keep bees."

To which Owen replied,  "Oh, right, because we're farmers now."  Apparently none of this is at all weird to him.  (Also, I wonder what it was that has made us farmers now in his mind.)

I've been interested in beekeeping for a long time.  But it doesn't really seem like one of those things you can just jump in to.  We have some friends that keep bees, and have asked them to walk us through the steps of caring for a colony.  We've also checked out a bunch of books, but getting the assistance of someone with years and colonies worth of experience just gives us the real kick of confidence we need to try it out.

So we've ordered hive components.  Assembled hive boxes and frames, and painted the hive (with leftover house paint in the basement, free = sweet!)

Today we drive to pick up the bees.  It's pretty late in the season.  But there was bad weather in California where the bees are coming from.  This evening Jeremy will install our colony.  (I designated him as head of this hobby.)  And then we will officially become backyard beekeepers.