Mick Youther recently wrote:
>I joined Bee-L because I planned to buy some equipment this winter
>and start keeping bees next spring.  After following the discussions
>the past 3 mos. or so, I have started having seconds thoughts.  I had
>never heard of varolla or tracheal mites before and it seems that
>the prescribed treatments leave something to be desired.  It sounds like
>if the mites don't get your bees and the winter doesn't kill them, they
>may just all decide to leave one day anyway.
>
>     I guess my question is: Can a person just have a hive or two,
>get a little honey, and keep his sanity without having to constantly
>restock the hives?
 
Mick - The quick answer to your final question is a resounding
YES, ABSOLUTELY!!! We experience this challenge every year in the
Beginning Beekeeping class that my club runs - How to educate folks
about the more common pitfalls of beekeeping, without scaring them
so much that they decide it isn't worth the effort. The truth of the
matter is that all the beekeepers on BEE-L don't have enough time
(or the inclination) to spend hours on the computer describing their
wonderful experiences keeping bees (I would guess that most BEE-L folks
probably have a closetful of great stories!). Instead, BEE-L tends to be a
spot for us to discuss  problems & ask questions. Therefor, by just
watching BEE-L one gets a distorted view of "real beekeeping". Sure,
there are varroa and tracheal mites, and yes, they can kill a colony, but
there are ways around the problem that doesn't cancel out the joys of
keeping your own colony or two. Do you drive a car??? Don't you know
that a car can kill you??? But most of us drive cars anyhow, as the
benefits outweigh the dangers (IMHO). I kind of view beekeeping
in a similar light - the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.
Nothing in life is trouble-free, but that is what keeps things interesting!
 
My standard suggestions to a new beekeeper: Read as much as you can
about bees, join a local club, and hook up with an experienced beekeeper
who can be your mentor. Taking a beekeeping class would be a good
idea too! If you are still hesitant about starting your own colonies,
hook up with an area beekeeper, and help them work their bees for a
while. You'll probably know fairly quickly if this hobby is for you or not.
But don't be bashful - there really are a lot of benefits from having your
own bees, and it isn't as difficult to do as it might sound based solely
on BEE-L traffic.
 
Now, making a profit from your bees....... That is a whole different issue!
(oops - don't want to scare you off - Beekeeping is not likely to be a huge
drain on your financial resources. Sure, it takes a [small] bit of up-front
cash to get started, but I think that most hobby beekeepers can have the hobby
pay for itself.)
 
Sincerely,
Rick Hough, a hobby beekeeper from Massachusetts.
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