Top Five Beekeeping Questions
When people find out I am a beekeeper, I usually get asked one of the following top five questions:
"Once you install the nuc, then what?"
"Do you leave them alone?"
"Did you name the queen?"
"Have you gotten stung yet?"
"Why are you beekeeping?"
I really enjoy it when people ask me questions about beekeeping. If I know the answers, I enjoy explaining what I have learned or know from classes or research I have done independently. If I do not know, it's great to write down the question and look it up on my own at another time.
Questions that are less technical and more personal are also fun to answer. People who ask questions and take a genuine interest in the hobby are simply the best.
One of the top five questions (and my personal favorite) is when people ask what I do now that I have installed the nuc. This is a very fair question. Now that it is installed, I tend to the bees. They are pretty much self-sufficient. However, I peek in about once a week to look for healthy egg-laying patterns from my queen. I check on their sugar water levels in the feeder frame. I check for pollen and honey storage amounts/levels. I look for signs of disease or parasites with the hope that if I catch it soon enough, I can treat it before it's too late.
I also just love to open up the hive and look at them—I enjoy listening to the hum and buzzing of the bustle of the worker bees. I love to watch their tiny proboscis (bee tongue) as they indulge in their own honey. I just love being around them.
Another question I get often is if I leave them alone. This question is sort of answered above. I leave them alone for a few days and let them do their thing. But I do enjoy going into the hive and checking things out at least once a week.
I also get asked frequently if I named the queen: her name is Queen Alberta I. The queen will mate once, but lay eggs for around two years (her approximate lifespan). She is the "first" because I will most likely have more queens to come.
I hate answering this question: Have I gotten stung yet? I don't want to answer cause I don't want to jinx it... But no. Not yet. When I do, I will have to write about my experience. I have yet to be stung in my lifetime by any bee or wasp ever. I am currently knocking on wood as I type this out.
The last question I tend to get asked a lot is why I started beekeeping. I am doing this hobby for myself because I love and enjoy it so much. I get to do it with my family, and we get to create memories together. I can reminisce about wonderful memories of my grandfather (we called him Pappy), as he was a beekeeper. But I cannot emphasize how important it is to find a hobby you enjoy and love on your own and do it for yourself.
I also highly recommend others do it, too! It is just amazing to watch these tiny beings create, communicate, and build together with a language completely different from our own.
Beginner Beekeeper Links:
These are links to items, virtual storefronts or other resources that I have found helpful.
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