The world of men is always uncertain, seldom inspiring, often a source of discouragement and dismay. But the keeper of bees, like anyone who has welded his life to the cycles and patterns of nature, can always turn to his tiny creatures and his craft ….
Even as a boy, driven by the passions and impulses that make youth so tumultuous and blind and filled with folly, I noted [the] serenity in beekeepers. From time to time I would see one sitting out in his battered chair, basking in the peace and sweetness of the setting … while around him, in spring, the cherries bloomed and the bees hummed, just as they had for a million springs gone by, and as they will for more millions to come.
Richard Taylor The Joys of Beekeeping
The picture of a serene individual calmly tending to the “little golden folk” in his or her beehive presents a rare and heartwarming example of how humans can sometimes work in cooperation with the natural world. Yet although experienced beekeepers may lyrically praise the sweetness of both their labors and their harvests, most people find the idea of actually caretaking a hive to be quite intimidating.
Folks are often frightened by the mere thought of tending to a colony of 30,000 to 80.000 stinger-laden and venom-carrying flying insects. And individuals who do feel inclined to learn beekeeping basics find that many beekeeping how-to guides plunge into such bewildering barrages of complicated explanations that the books actually add to the readers’ muddlement.
Well, in spite of the fact that bees do have stingers, that many texts do seem—especially at first —to be almost unintelligible, and that no beginner can become an expert (and sagaciously serene) beekeeper in a single honey season … it is quite possible for an interested novice to learn to work bees and harvest honey.
As long as there are nectar- and pollen-bearing flowers in your area, you can become a hobbyist beekeeper and successfully manage one or more hives to produce all the fresh unadulterated honey you (and your friends!) can use. This fact holds true even if you live in the middle of a large city, as many urban beekeepers keep hives of honeymakers on apartment house roofs or in attics! (Before doing so, however, city dwellers should check their local ordinances.)
This article, then, will introduce you to the field of beekeeping. It won’t pretend to reveal all you need to know to undertake backyard apiculture (much of that information can be had solely through study and experience) … but it should give you a feel for what’s entailed in the endeavor and, perhaps, a desire to try your hand at tending bees.
Just back out of hospital in early March for home recovery. Therapist coming today.
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