Bees are a Buzzin'

One of my major goals this year was to get bees and boy did I. I have been planning for over 2 years to get bees and the stars just would align in the right way for it to happen. My father kept bees before he passed away and when he kept bees, I admired that he kept bees, but other than listen and occasionally observe, I wasn't very involved. Later I began to have problems in my garden w/ pollination of summer crops that need pollinators and so I started to think about bees and read about CCD (colony collapse disorder) and the crisis with loosing bees and began to think about what I could do with bees to help my garden and help the bees. I read books on keeping bees, joined a bee club, went to bee schools, helped others with their hives and did a lot of online research and saved for the equipment and bees. So after all that I finally got my bees. I started with one hive because that is what I could afford. I used traditional equipment because I'm new to beekeeping and didn't have someone local to teach me about top bar bee keeping which is what I want to transition to with a second hive. I've chosen not use chemicals to kills pest because those poisons end up in the wax and honey. I am using frames without foundation and allowed to bees to make their own comb, which they are doing just fine thank you. I am more in tune with Barefoot Beekeeping, Natural Beekeeping or Backward Beekeeping methods and so far my bees are doing well. Just look and see. These pics were taken on April 30th.

Great brood development at 2 weeks in the hive!

No signs of pests or disease!

Can you see all the pollen and nectar the ladies are bringing home?
I am feeding sugar water as you can see by the feeder.

JUST LOOK AT ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL LADIES AND HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE DOING!

I've added on a second hive body and will check on the ladies this weekend to make sure they are getting moved in. I couldn't be more pleased.