May 28th was the start of my 4th year of beekeeping. I always was attracted
and repelled by bees, but facinated by how my garden improved when bees were
there. We moved from Washington state to Northern California 4 years ago.
Too young to retire and financially not ready either, I started selling
dahlias in cut bouquets and perennials at the farm. Our booth started as a
card table in front of the house with a tin to put money in. Since we were
new to the area, we learned the territory by going on garage sale hunts (car
boot sales for those across the water) each Saturday and in a different area
each time. I happened on a sale where an older beekeeper was retiring and
selling bees. So, I got 2 hives in May, June and July. I started reading
everything I could get my hand on, including some books I bought at the
garage sale. The internet! What a blessing. We took off 60 pounds of honey
and gave Christmas presents to all the family. I entered a frame in the
Harvest fair and one 1st place. Beginners luck. I managed to keep my bees
alive without using chemicals. The next spring all 6 hives were alive, but
one was queenless. I read to give the hive an egg. Mark the calendar and
those bees made a new queen! Wow, I felt encouraged.

Next year (#2), through catching a few swarms and making splits, I sold 3
hives and ended up with 14 hives and 800 pounds of honey. My card table
sales went under a tent and my customers were pleased with the new product.
I started doing a couple of farmer's markets, when I had honey to sell. That
winter, I made a few candles and set them out before Christmas.
Bingo....people liked my candles. I had to put a locked box on the table,
since the local school kids got wind of the easy money.

Year 3 I talked to my mentors' class at the junior college and offered new
beekeepers an easier way to start bees than catching swarms and buying
packages. I sold matured splits with the new queens. 18 new beekeepers
started that year. I was addicted to catching swarms, but even more
fascinated by wall extractions. No one wanted to do these and I charged a
small fee and was very busy. I ended up with around 80 hives, reducing to 60
after I sold some. 2004 was a bad year for mites and bees. I lost 50 hives.
I use IPM, but wasn't diligent enough to save those bees.

I started year 4 with 10 hives. I bought 15 packages. I made propolis
tinctures, lip balm and a skin bar. This year I'm selling 5 frame nucs to
the students and I teach a 3 hour hands on class. I have school tours come
here to learn about bees. I have gotten bees in a tree stump by helping the
tree cutters and provinding them suits and veils. I have a sideways branch
that the treecutters sliced through the hive, while removing dead branches.
Real Bee trees! I have a hive in a wood duck nest and a hive in a parrot
nest box. Fun to watch! I am going to take the wood duck hive out soon, now
that nature has worked on the rotten eggs in the nest. I do 3 farmer's
markets and festivals and fairs. I sell pollen, creamed and comb honey and
have gotten a reputation for having no treaments in the hives. Sales are
booming. We built a 4X16 foot farmstand, that is still on the honor system.
The perennials I sell are mostly bee plants now. I'm somewhere up around 60
hives (plus nucs) in 4 locations and I spend EVERYDAY with my girls. I'm
going to start raising and grafting queens. I think I may make a few bucks
this year!!! I don't have to buy anymore equipment, thank gawd! I am the VP
of the Sonoma County Beekeeper's Assn for the second year and my job is
getting the speakers for the meetings. We often have 70 members show up, so
I think it means the choices are interesting.

I can't imagine NOT having bees. I could not do any of this without the help
of my husband. He's the muscle for moving hives and equipment and he feeds
all our starter hives. He even filled in for me on a Boy Scout tour, that
came a day early and I wasn't there, so he put on the suit and entertained
the folks. After that he started calling himself a beekeeper. 8-)

I have major health issues and am disabled by them. But, the bees, I can do
and they help my body. I think the pollen has helped me with an immune
disorder. I hardly have flairs anymore. I sting myself for my arthritis and
think I have stopped it from getting worse. All family members including our
9 chihuahuas and 2 parrots have honey everyday to keep them healthy. I give
my bitches honey every hour while they are in labor. I love my life. It is
the best time of my life. Thank gawd for that garage sale!!!

Kathy Cox

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