--- allen dick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I'd like to hear from diverse list members why they
> keep bees, what their
> principles are and what their goals are.
>

I've been keeping bees for about 10 years now and still consider myself very
much a novice. I keep bees because I like the challenge and mystique that
goes with it. I'm strictly a hobbyist or amateur beekeeper. The maximum
number of hives I've had is 16, I currently have 10. I've recently have had
great success in over wintering using reflectrix to wrap my hives
individually. I haven't lost one in the last two years. When I over wintered
using large commercial wraps encompassing 4 hives I averaged about 20%
losses and sometimes a lot more. It gets very cold here in Manitoba in the
winter, sometimes below -40C; I'm still amazed that the bees can endure
these temperatures. Coming from Halifax I'm very much in awe of the winters
here. One of the neat tricks I've learned from BEE-L is how to do
side-by-each splits. I have limited space and keep my hives just outside the
front door. When I do splits I displace the original hive about a foot
laterally and place the split right next to it. This works fine for me.
After a couple of weeks when things have stabilized I begin to move them
apart a foot or so each day until I have a comfortable working space around
the individual hives. I don't like store bought honey but love my own. I
don't strain it but instead take it direct from the extractor and put it
into large 25 litre containers. After a day or two all debris rises to the
top and I take off clear honey through the spout on the bottom. Some years I
sell up to a thousand pounds to the co-op and I give a lot away. I took a
queen raising course from Marla Spivak in Minneapolis a couple of years ago
but haven't got around to raising any queens to date although I intend to
soon. I get my replacement queens from Hawaii or Australia through the
co-op. My goal is to eventually raise my own replacement queens and to be
chemical free. Sorry for the long post.

Doug Henry
Lockport Manitoba
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