A little over a month ago I saw a small advertisement in the local Metro paper for a "Bust into Beekeeping" course. The ad peaked my curiosity because even as a small child I have always had a fascination with social insects, bees, wasps, ants, etc. So I went about getting in touch with the coordinator, Patty Milligan from Lola Canola Honey, and signed up.
Immediately I started searching out beekeeping videos and websites, I wanted to go into the course with a good grasp of Beekeeping so I could get the most out of the course. It was through this searching that I learned of the "plight" of the honey bee. Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. In the past few years, vast amounts of bees have been disappearing causing much concern throughout the beekeeping community. My research found that many opinions exist for the cause of this, however no solution has been found. Much like politics, every beekeeper has a way in which they do things and everyone believes that their way is the correct way.
I happened to stumble upon the Backwards Beekeepers, a group of urban beekeepers in L.A., because they had some interesting videos posted on YouTube. Their philosophy when it comes to beekeeping, which I have strongly associated with, is to leave the bees alone. Bees have been around for millions of years and they know what to do, you just have to provide them with the things they need to be happy; food and a sheltered hollow vessel for a home. This is the way I will be trying to keep my bees; after all I am becoming a beekeeper because I love bees, not because I need honey.
There is much to learn, so come back often and feel free to send some comments.
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