Brad the bee keeper

I think you'll find it extremely interesting and very rewarding. I used to help an old man that kept bees along time ago and it was fun. Hard work (suprisingly it's a LOT harder than it looks!) but fun. And the best thing? THE HONEY. There's nothing like fresh honey and chewing on honey comb.

When you can wear a bee beard then you’ll know you’ve completely overcome your phobia.

Well we do have something in common here. I am very afraid of anything flying that stings. Hornets are the worst for me. I got stung badly when I was a kid. I was on a roof cleaning an old lady's window for her. She was going to pay me a whole quarter to do so. I got stung so bad I almost fell off the roof. My dad rushed me to a mud puddle where he applied the wet cool mud to lessen the stings. I've never forgot that and to this day am terrified of nothing more than hornets and bees.

My boss's dad is a bee keeper. He gives us honey every year for Christmas and is very knowledgeable about this . He makes one good raspberry whipped honey that is awesome.

Good luck with the bee thing. No way would I dare to do that. I'm too much of a sissy.

Heh, you were pumped so full of venom that you've built up a decent immunity. I've only been stung twice in my life. Beekeeping looks like an interesting hobby and if I had the time I'd probably invest in a hive or two myself for fun and honey. I could easily put some in my backyard and start up my garden again...it'd be pretty sweet.

Well, good luck with that and let us know how it goes.

~Zoo

Nice article.

What a fun thing for your boys to be involved in and learn about.

I think this rocks...I am all for facing fear and kicking its a-s-s.

I am not afraid of bees, often take my shoe off and swat them while my kids are running away.

But don't get me close to a large spider...then I beat my kids out the door!

I agree with Shovel....fresh honey....yum!

I agree with Shovel....fresh honey....yum!

You know, both the honey and the honeycomb are mixed with copius amount of bee saliva and enzymes.

Oh, and if you want a fun little way to learn, then try this: Link It's a neat little site.

~Zoo

Good luck with this! I saw a documentary the other day where they said that the African Killer Bees were killing off the Honey Bees, so we definately need more of them!

Also eating local honey is good for combating allergies too...

Good luck with this! I saw a documentary the other day where they said that the African Killer Bees were killing off the Honey Bees, so we definately need more of them!

Sort of, yes...African bees were accidentally released in Brazil around 1956, I believe, and began to spread and breed with our honeybees, including those that we use in hives, making hybrid Africanized honeybees which produce less honey and have a horrible aggression problem.

Heh, heh...the more you know.

I sound like a huge nerd, don't I?

~Zoo

Bees are no bother.  Bumbles are neat!  Wasps look evil, but I like them too.  But Hornets!  They are true devil spawn!  I hate them!  Been stung more times than I can count by those little demons from hell!

But like you, other than hornets, the other stings rarely leave a mark, and half the time, I dont even realize I have been stung.

Enjoy the honey!

All I could think of after reading this piece was the old song about the bumblebee that invaded the nudist colony.
Oh, Buzz buzz buzz, oh my oh me,
Oh, Buzz buzz buzz, oh gollee gee,
Oh, Buzz buzz buzz, it was an awful spree, when the bumblebee invaded the nudist colony!

Good luck in facing your fear.

how could i not promote a very positive buzz about this???

bees be potentially very lucrative as well.  colony collapse syndrome is making them increasingly valuable. 

might wanna leave your cell at home tho.

How doth the little busy Bee
     Improve each shining Hour,
And gather Honey all the day
     From every opening Flower!

How skilfully she builds her Cell!
     How neat she spreads the Wax!
And labours hard to store it well
     With the sweet Food she makes.

In Works of Labour or of Skill
     I would be busy too:
For Satan finds some Mischief still
     For idle Hands to do.

In Books, or Work, or healthful Play
     Let my first Years be past,
That I may give for every Day
     Some good Account at last.
          --Isaac Watts, 1715

I have some homesteading books that talk about bee keeping, one in some detail. If you're interested, I'll give you the titles of them. When Dave retires from the AF (only 5 years to go now woo-hoo!) we've got plans for a home on a couple of acres with an orchard, honey bees (good for pollenation)some veggies and, of course, chickens.

Bees are good for honey, yes, but there are many other uses for them: beeswax is good for candles and also furniture polish, and there are alternative therapy practitioners who use bee stings on their patients with rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and a host of other diseases and disorders. Basically, you freeze the bees and send them to the clinics, where they're thawed and then used on the patients.

Good for you for tackling your phobia head on!

I just ordered my bee gear today. No bees yet, have to learn more about taking care of them. But the actual physical stuff was shipped.

My parents used to keep bees. They got rid of them when I was young though, so I can't help you much but one thing you should have a look at is what flower types are around the property. That will affect what the Honey will taste like. Some varieties of flowers and trees can produce quite exquisite honey. It is more work than it immediately appears, if you want to actually produce honey from it. Another thing, 100% no additive honey actually goes hard after being kept for a few days. Additives are added in shop honey to keep it runny. I remember as kids we used to whine endlessly about it! just something to be aware about.

Did that bee keeping thing as a kid- don't plan to do it again.  They are interesting little buggers, but they require *a lot* of work to keep healthy.  And, extracting honey and getting it clean (ie: getting the bee legs and stuff out of it) is a sticky, pain in the butt job.

May the Schwartz be with you!  I think you'll need it

I just ordered my bee gear today.

Please say you ordered the, smoker. It's one of those items you NEED. When, not if, your bees get excited, that's what you will need to use in order to calm them down. I'm glad you have 3 acres to keep your hives on. My father decided to keep 2 box hives in the backyard...one of the funniest things I've ever seen, was him running around the block frantically pumping the bellows of that smoker, trying to get that swarm of bees back home!

Good luck! I'm going to say a few prayers for you, to any and all Gods, just in case.

The honey isn't the main interest I have. I just want a hobby that is NON-computer related that I can actually do.  Tedious grunt work is something I have no problem with as long as it does'nt take a rocket scientist to do it.

Smoker is a definite requirement.

The honey isn't the main interest I have. I just want a hobby that is NON-computer related that I can actually do.  Tedious grunt work is something I have no problem with as long as it does'nt take a rocket scientist to do it.

Smoker is a definite requirement.

I've always believed that you should confront your fears, so cudos to you for doing so.

Good thing 'cause there's plen-T of it in bee-keeping! Of course it depends on how many hives you have. And remember! When a bee stings you DO NOT grab the barbed stinger that's left in your skin! Instead SCRAPE it away with your fingernail or something because if you just pinch it to take hold of it all you do is squeeze in more venom.

My father decided to keep 2 box hives in the backyard...one of the funniest things I've ever seen, was him running around the block frantically pumping the bellows of that smoker, trying to get that swarm of bees back home!

That is a kodak moment!