I was looking for an additional 4H projectBut didn't see any quite as enticing as my lovely goats. I was considering Archery (I'm dramatic, and think it would be pretty awesome if I could shoot something with accuracy), but when Mom said it cost a $100-$200 for a good bow? Yikes! No way was I spending that much. Actually, when you total it up, I have spent more getting into bees. Go figure. Anyway, Mom suggested the bee keeping project. Huh, didn't think of that one. A few quick, well.... a few not so quick Google searches, and I was hooked. I wanted to do Honey Bees! Anyone who knows me, knows I have a one track mind. If I am interested in something, be it goats, chickens, gardening or bee keeping, I will not let the subject go until it is thoroughly worn out. This was no exception. After a few months, a bee meeting, and hours upon hours of research, Mom and I finally settled on hive and bees. We ordered a 8 frame medium hive from Mann Lake, and after much consideration, we decided to start with a nuc. A nuc, or nucleus hive, has some advantages over a package. Since nucs already come with frames of brood, pollen and honey stores, there is a much lower chance of absconding (bees abandoning the hive). Plus, I much higher rate of success, since the bees don't need to build up all the wax in the hive before the queen starts laying. Speaking of the the queen, in a package, the queen in unknown to the workers, and has minimal allegiance. Sometimes the workers will abandon the queen, and sometimes they will kill her. Nether are good options. In a nuc, the queen is already laying, and has been accepted by the workers already. We went with an Italian/Carniolan cross, hoping for the honey production and gentleness of the Italians, and the winter hardiness of the Carniolans. When starting an Apiary, one is supposed to start with 2 or 3 hives, but it's cost us approximately $300 to start up one hive. We're praying that this hive will flourish enough that eventually we can split it into two, but we'll see.
I'll post more once the hive gets here. Catch you later!
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