This spring, I began my beekeeping journey, and it's been an incredible experience so far. I started with one small colony, and it has since grown into two strong hives. In the spring, I made a YouTube video where I introduced a package of bees to my first hive, which you can check out if you’re interested in the process.
A Commitment to Organic Beekeeping
I’ve always loved bees and the honey they produce, so when I started beekeeping, I committed to keeping my honey 100% organic and chemical-free. This approach goes against mainstream beekeeping practices, which often involve treating bees for Varroa mites—a common parasite. With encouragement from my mentor, Tim from Turtle Bee Farms, I believe it’s possible to raise healthy bees without chemicals. While I know it won’t be easy, I’m determined to try because I believe that working with nature is the best way to achieve success.
The Early Days: Setting Up My First Hive
My beekeeping adventure began with a package of bees from Turtle Bee Farms, which I introduced to my hive in early May. A typical package contains around 10,000 bees and a mated queen. Usually, the queen is placed in the hive first, still inside a small container with a few attendant bees. After a few days, she is released to join the colony once the bees have accepted her pheromones. I decided to release the queen immediately, based on advice that she had already been with the package for a few days. This led to a bit of fumbling, and I almost killed the queen! Luckily, when I checked the hive a few days later, I found that she was alive and laying eggs.
Integrated Pest Management: My Chemical-Free Approach
After the initial hiccup, my colony thrived, filling two deep boxes with honey and brood in just under three months. To maintain my bees without chemical treatments, I’ve adopted an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. IPM is a sustainable way to manage pests that minimizes the use of chemicals while effectively controlling pest populations. The strategy I’m using targets Varroa mites during their reproductive stage.
Varroa mites reproduce in capped brood cells, and they are particularly drawn to drone cells, where the queen lays unfertilized eggs that become male bees. Knowing this, I use drone frames to encourage the queen to lay drone brood. Once the cells are capped, I remove the frame, freeze it to kill the mites, and return it to the hive. While this won’t eliminate the mites entirely, it reduces their population and gives the bees a better chance of survival.
Between June and August, I removed two full drone brood frames, which makes me hopeful about the health of my bees going into winter. Many have told me that it’s impossible to keep bees alive without chemicals, but I’m determined to prove them wrong.
An Unexpected Swarm
In early August, just as I was feeling confident in my beekeeping skills, my bees swarmed—a natural but unexpected event. Typically, bees swarm in spring or early summer, but there are various reasons for a late-season swarm, including overcrowding or genetic factors. Fortunately, the swarm settled on a branch in my backyard, and with the help of a friend, I was able to safely capture them and place them in a new hive. Now, I have two hives, both of which are doing well.
No Honey Harvest This Year
Although my bees have produced a lot of honey, I won’t be harvesting any this year. As a new beekeeper, I’m unsure how much honey my bees will need to survive the winter, so I’m playing it safe by leaving them with their full stores. Commercial beekeepers typically harvest in the fall to reduce the cost of transporting honey and to treat for Varroa mites without contaminating the honey. However, I’m committed to following a more natural approach, giving my bees everything they need to thrive without using harmful chemicals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this first season of beekeeping has been an incredible learning experience. I’ve faced challenges, made mistakes, and celebrated successes. I hope my journey inspires you to start your own beekeeping adventure. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more of my experiences with you in the future.
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