The Buzz on Beekeeping

Just before winter arrived and the neighbors headed indoor to hibernate, we had one last chat over the garden fence where I shared with them my plans for a spring project.

We’re close with the neighbors. We can see into each other’s windows from our own and smell what’s cooking for dinner when the wind blows just right. They’ve been witness to and recipients of lots of my “projects” and food experiments over the years, the most recent of which was my sauerkraut-making project which went sour, resulting in 40 pound of salted cabbage compost. Not much that I do surprises them.

“I think I’m going to raise a few chickens or keep a beehive next year,” I said. “Which do you prefer?” I thought I would give them a few months to mull it over. Between clucking and buzzing, they chose buzzing.

Good answer! I had already mailed in my non-refundable registration fee for the Beginning Beekeeping Classes coming up in a few weeks. Still, I need to arm myself with enough information to play defense for my project when the neighborhood started to thaw out and people would begin to ask questions.

I called Denzil St. Clair from Queen Right Colonies in Spencer, OH. Denzil and his wife, Shelia operate an apiary and a beekeeping supply house and conduct a series of classes as part of the Lorain County Beekeeping Association. He had the answers.

My backyard adjoins three others and basically everyone can see what I’m up to. While that puts a crimp on bikini gardening, it keeps everyone in the loop. I asked Denzil if a backyard, like mine, not much bigger than a small parking lot, was suitable for beekeeping.

“I know of one beekeeper who keeps several colonies on a balcony just one block from the square in downtown Elyria,” and he’s read of beekeepers in New York City who do the same. “In theory,” he said, “ all that is needed is a place large enough to set the hive and the bees do the rest.”

Then I told him that my neighbors might be a little squeamish about having a hive so close to their personal space. They’re weird like that. I wanted to quell their fears.

“This is a little more difficult,” said Denzil. “People have irrational fears of all sorts and stinging insects would be one of them.”

“You will hear the inevitable story about the time when the honey bee came out of the pop can, ground, paper nest, garbage can, wherever,” he said, “yet none of these items remotely interest a honey bee —that’s a yellowjacket.”

Denzil believes that educating myself as well as the neighbors, keeping a fresh water source nearby, and setting the colonies as far from the property lines as possible will maintain harmony in the neighborhood.

Then I asked him how much this new hobby is going to cost me, in both precious dollars and time.

According to Denzil, from the beekeeping classes which provide all the basics and fundamentals of the hobby, how to work and manage colonies, disease control and some basic biology, to the tools of my new trade, about two hundred bucks. The time it takes will vary.

“Novices need to work their bees every seven to ten days the first season,” he said. “It’s not good for the bees but it will provide you with some important colony development.”

Work the bees? As in “drop and give me twenty, mister.” And if it’s not good for them, do you really want to be on their bad side?

“Working bees for the beginner is nothing more then a sight seeing tour,” Denzil explained. “You’ll to see how rapidly a colony expands, in what direction, how quickly feedings are being consumed and the comb is being drawn out, queen laying, laying pattern,” and more.

“Consider this,” he said. “If you placed a package of 5,000 bees into a hive (which is not a lot) and returned six month later to 80,000 bees in the same hive, you would be terrified to open or work this colony. It would be very intimidating.” He explained by “working” and tending your charges every few days leading into ever few weeks, you become accustomed to the sight.

Denzil said that I could reasonably expect 35 to 40 pounds of the liquid gold my first year, although when it comes to honey production, factors like weather, rainfall, and location come into play.

And what about the neighbors? They’re bound to ask what’s in it for them. They're funny that way.

“Pollination is by far the most important aspect of the honey bee and beekeeping,” said Denzil. “Larger fruits and more fruit, vine crops of all kinds, and flowers are greatly benefited and some vegetables. Honey bees will work roughly a two square mile area so everyone in the parameter will benefit from this hobby.”

If that’s not enough, bribery in the form of a pound or two of honey is effective, too.