I lived in the land of eternal blooms. What wouldn’t go right?
In early May of 2024 I finally purchased my very first beehive! A thick sturdy lid off a box I had received would be converted into a table top for my hive stand. My husband put 4×4 legs on it that were about 2 1/2 feet tall and we leveled it. I didn’t want to stress my back by bending over a lot (later I modified that beginner set-up, lowering it to about one foot off the ground).
I set the hive next to a pine tree with the entrance facing east so the bees could get morning sun. And in the summer they would get shade during the hot afternoons. See, I HAD done some homework!? The pond is about 20 feet away giving the bees a good water source. My small vegetable and herb garden is also about 20 feet away, so the bees could have close foraging sources.
The three previous years had shown me that wild flowering roses, tulip poplars, magnolias, camelias, fruit trees, wild blackberries, blueberries and other flowers attracted pollinators. Something was blooming from February through December around here, and I hoped that meant nutrition for the bees. I had read about dearths (the time of year when nothing is blooming, so bees don’t have any nectar or pollen to feed on or store), but it seemed like that would not be the case here in the southern Appalachians.
I also had Airbnb guests to think about. What if someone was highly allergic? Or simply freaked out about bees? The location of the beehive was at the opposite side of the property and fortunately has not seemed to attract too many bees to the weekend rental. Thankfully, the rental attracts mostly guests who also love nature and don’t mind bugs or bees.
I’m on good terms with my neighbors. It’s a rural neighborhood, with farms and large plots of lands and lots of gardens. So houses aren’t too close together. When I set up the bee box, within a day one neighbor eagerly came over, excited to have pollinators for his apple trees. Later, a neighbor who comes up to vacation, was pleased to see the bees, as well. Of course, later on sharing a bit of sweet success with them cemented the positive relationships.?
Despite these small victories and optimistic feedback, May ended up a very rainy month! I worried and checked on my bees, hoping they weren’t starving out, watching the entrance for activity. On dry mornings, I took my tea out to the beehive and sat there watching them. They buzzed around me and got to know my scent. They were docile and starting the day with the bees was very soothing. I loved my new hobby of beekeeping!
The rains gave the bees a couple of weeks to settle in before doing my first inspection. I started researching and studying all I could about inspections during that spell of rain. I’m afraid it stressed me out even more. I couldn’t believe all there is to learn about bees and beekeeping! I didn’t want to fail! This extra time also gave me a chance to buy a beekeeping kit, complete with a smoker and netted hat, and to get ready for beehive expansion.
