When you decide to pursue a new hobby or become interested in something new, you are usually asked “Why exactly would you be interested in that?” and “Have you ever had a similar hobby?”
Sometimes it’s funny to me because people find everything we need in this fast-paced and stressful life surprising and useless.
When I started actively talking about wanting to be a beekeeper, the truth is, no one took me seriously. But no one can know what we find love and pleasure in until we start talking about it and bringing it into our lives.
Who Does The Beekeeping?
Younger people believe that only older people, especially retirees, are engaged in beekeeping, which is completely wrong. I have often had the opportunity to meet young people who, in addition to their regular job, choose to work in some branch of agriculture.
Indeed, beekeeping is most often done by retirees because they have the most time to dedicate to it. But if you read and hear more about beekeeping, you will be convinced that young workers, many officials, intellectuals, young unemployed people are involved in it. However, over time, as the love and affection for these insects grow, this hobby grows into a serious work.
In the country I come from, beekeeping is registered as an old and traditional craft. Because of this, I often get asked if anyone in our family has been engaged in this type of work.
My parents informed me that one of my grandfathers was a professional beekeeper. His son continued the work but with less intensity. Neither my father nor his brothers showed interest in bees. Unfortunately, younger family members also chose other paths. However, after ten years, we are returning to tradition and we have a new young beekeeper in the family. And that would be me.
One Of The Best Decisions: I Want To Be A Beekeeper
We have all had our first encounter with bees. Whether the experience was positive or negative, each person themself should be the judge. The first encounters are usually painful because they occur when we are young and do not know enough about nature and what we make of it.
I wrote about the beginnings of love for these valuable insects in the article “Welcome to my blog”. My now five-year-old son was most responsible for the more frequent meetings with them and their studies.
Although I have read a lot, watched documentaries and listened to lectures, it took time to decide to bring home the first hive. A lot of preparation was necessary, as well as getting rid of the present fears.
Sometimes it seemed to me that I took a long time to think, sometimes that I needed even more time, but now when I think back, that was just enough. In one of the following articles you will find out why you need time to start doing this work. First of all, you need to examine yourself and your surroundings and then other factors.
I regret not writing down the date but I can say with certainty that my first work with bees started four years ago.
I was inspired by the colorful beehives in neighboring villages and various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina while I was traveling. Only when I researched all the health benefits of honey and introduced honey into our regular diet that I made one of the best decisions of my life, especially for our son: to become a beekeeper.
Work With The First Hive
Shortly after finding an experienced beekeeper, and above all, a beekeeper I could trust, I bought my first hives. I did not buy one, I bought four hives. I brought the hives in the early dawn, while it was still dark and while the bees had not started their activities.
This is very important. The bees need to be inside the hive when they are being moved. In this way, when leaving the hive, they will orient themselves better, realize that they are in a new location, accept it and return back.
Naturally, I chose the terrain a few days earlier and made a stand on which I placed the hives.
I chose a spacious field not far from the house, surrounded by various plants, trees and a hazelnut plantation that I had planted a few years earlier. This was nature in its full purity. The view is beautiful, especially in spring and autumn.
It is not recommended to inspect and open the hives immediately after placing the bees in a new location because they are upset by the relocation and should be given time to restore their peace and organization in society.
Although I was very curious and could hardly wait to open the hives and see how everything works inside, I stayed patient for a few days, watched and enjoyed from the sidelines what was happening around the hives.
After a few days, I performed an inspection to determine if the queens were alive and if everything was fine with the bee colony. The inspection did not take much time. As soon as I found out that the brood was present in the hives, I knew that the queen was alive and that the eggs were being laid.
I no longer wanted to disturb their peace and work.
Tips For Future Beekeepers
The future of beginner beekeepers, and the beekeeping itself, depends on the purchase of bees. Therefore, it is very important to buy swarms from experienced, honest and sincere beekeepers. It is important that the swarms are not in poor condition, with old queens or burdened with bee diseases. Any of the above will lead to problems that beginners cannot solve on their own.
If you do happen to buy swarms in poor condition, you need to understand that it is not the bees’ fault. The supply of swarms on the market is large. Beginner beekeepers are often victims of various scams because they do not have enough experience and do not know how to assess a good swarm. Do not let such a bad experience distract you from the idea of beekeeping.
