I’ve been looking into starting up a honey bee hive here in St. John’s, either in my own backyard (which is already getting crowded with raised beds), somewhere in the field behind my shed (if I think it’s safe enough that the neighbourhood kids won’t destroy the hive), in a friend’s large enclosed backyard a few houses down from us, or maybe even on the roof of my shed if I can build a platform to create a secure flat surface (that’s a long shot). I’m learning as much as I can every day (there’s a lot to know) and I’m meeting up with a local bee keeper in mid-April to learn more. So I might be able to get a hive started this year.
In the meantime, here’s a video of a guy starting a new hive with a 3-pound mail-order package of bees and a queen — the typical method of starting a new hive. (Heads-up: There’s wind and noise in some portions of the video.)
Hopefully I’ll write another post in April about my first honey bee hive.
Via Central Beekeepers Alliance.
