Having myself got into beekeeping three years ago "to help the bees"
(seems crazy now!), I've been reading this thread with great interest.

I'm surprised that among all the talk about classes, books, beekeeping
clubs, and mentoring, no one has mentioned the business model that
got me into beekeeping: a Montreal company exists which will,
for a fee, place a hive on your property (or possibly rooftop),
come and maintain it, and while doing so, teach you the ropes.
(I think they've expanded to Toronto as well recently.)

The hive belongs to them, so if after a season of scraping sticky
propolis getting and stung, the client decides that they're not
cut out for beekeeping, the company just takes their hive back
and no one is the worse for it, not even the bees.  One could also
continue to pay for the company's services, and still enjoy having
a hive but let someone else do the hard work.

Or one could decide that one is ready to be a beekeeper, and buy
the hive and bees outright, which is what my companion and I did.
The company has now expanded its services to offer a kind of
"half service" for people who want to go solo but more gradually
(fewer visits), as well as a consultation service for those of us
who feel we can go it mostly alone, but want to have access to a
pro for the occasional problem.

I think that this type of approach is a really great way to start,
though I admit it was expensive.  I hope that more companies of this
type will spring up; I think that this business model really meets a
need.


On a personal note, if I'd really understood what I was considering
getting into, I might not have started - and yet, I'm not sorry I did.
The learning curve turned out to be impressive, and in the past
three years I've read several textbooks and subscribed to several
magazines, which I read almost cover to cover.  But observing these
little living creatures has been fascinating and thought-provoking.

I'm also amazed at how much pent-up interest in bees is out there.
When people learn that I have a beehive in my back yard, they are
so full of questions!  A few of them express interest in starting
up the hobby themselves, and I always explain how important it is
to monitor and treat for varroa, and, in urban and suburban areas,
to prevent swarming.  Hearing about the details of those tasks
gives most people pause.

I no longer think that I'm particularly "helping the bees" by keeping
my one little hive, but at least I think I'm succeeding in doing
no harm; I have a very pleasant sheltered spot for this colony, I
do what's necessary to monitor its health and treat when necessary
(and will try to do a better job of rotating the treatment types
from now on), and when I re-queened last year I bought the queen
from a local supplier who breeds for varroa resistance.  So I do
listen to you guys.  ;-)

Thanks for letting me take part in your mailing list!


Anne.
-- 
Ms. Anne Bennett, as a private citizen:  [log in to unmask]
Also reachable more officially at work:  [log in to unmask]

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