In preparation as a new beekeeper, I have joined my local beekeeping club, Southeastern IN Beekeepers Association. I attended my first meeting on March 21, 2024. I will be attending the monthly meetings, the third Thursday of every month. The first meeting mainly consisted of checking hives after the winter, catching swarms, how to prevent your colony from swarming and observing the health of the queen and colony. I have completed an online course in beekeeping education. This course covered basic knowledge of beekeeping equipment, bee biology, first year maintenance of the hive, how to handle frames, check frames, handling the queen, marking the queen and ailments the hive may encounter. It also covered when and how to feed the colony, water sources, and the importance of where to place the hives.
My husband has constructed 2 hives that consist of 2 deeps, 1 med and 1 super. I have purchased 20 deep frames, 10 medium frames and a smoker. I am very thankful for the opportunity of the Jumpstart Program, as the start of beekeeping is costly. I have been fortunate to have a family friend to be my mentor, Don Burkart. I understand the importance of keeping a journal with each hive check, documenting local flowers and plants when they bloom, overall activity of the colony, expenses along with pros and cons of what I am doing for the hives.
I have been in contact with my closest neighbor, I live on 3 acres, to let them know of my new adventure. They are excited for me as they are avid gardeners and look forward to the colonies helping to pollinate. I will be placing the hives, south facing and in a location with full afternoon sun. I’ve learned that afternoon sun helps cut back on hive beetles. Four years ago, we planted multiple fruit trees, black berry bushes in our yard, and my neighbor planted a wild flower field 2 yrs ago. This will be a prime area for local food sources for the colonies. In closing, I am very thankful for this opportunity from the Beekeepers of Indiana and looking forward to my first year as a beekeeper.
