When did you start beekeeping? 2020

Certification Level: Journeyman

How many hives do you have/keep?  ~18, it changes, half of them are small, the rest make honey.

What got you into beekeeping?  Meagan Wells – I’m a farm girl and plant lover at heart, and she invited me over to harvest a bit of honey with her after a MBA class we were in. I told my (now) husband I should get bees, and after being pretty against it all fall, he coordinated a surprise of some hives from his family. Best Christmas reaction and gift in a long time.

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  This is not something someone can tell you how to do, there are some general things and what I call “survival guides”, but you have to know you, your practices, and get to know your hives – much like tending a garden in different areas. There’s so much to learn, don’t get overwhelmed and just do, observe, take notes, and repeat.

What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper? Other than seeing inside their home which is special, it reminds me I’m not in control and grounds me-the bees will do what they want within the seasons, and even with manipulation it works best if we’re working with their natural tendencies.

A fun fact or something else to share:  I also garden, and love plant propagation just as much as growing bees.  It's the magic of the seasons and working with nature on the cycle. 

When did you start beekeeping? As near as I remember, I think it was 1978 when a friend helped me do a “cut-out” from an old barn.

Certification Level: Journeyman

How many hives do you have/keep? Right now, 7.

What got you into beekeeping? A friend got a bee hive and showed me all the “stuff” in it and offered to help me get free bees (my favorite price!).

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  Take a class! Read! Learn from successful beeks. Beware the internet “iffy” sources.

What’s your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  Working with these amazing insects and learning how to do different beekeeping methods.

A fun fact or something else to share: There are about 20,000 bee species on earth. Over 600 in Washington. Only honey bees make honey for us in North America.

When did you start beekeeping? 2023

Certification Level: Beginner

How many hives do you have/keep?  2

What got you into beekeeping?  I've always found bees to be amazing creatures and wanted to learn more about them. I figured the best way to learn was to be near them and take care of them. Plus, honey will be a nice little bonus.

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  2 hives is better than 1 for  2 big reasons - 1 - you can compare and contrast easier instead of wondering if something is not right. 2 - you can take from one to make the other stronger. Also, get a mentor. You need people who you can ask questions of and bounce ideas off of on a regular basis.
What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  I really enjoy sitting by a hive and just watching, hearing, and smelling the bees. I find it brings a level of peace I usually can only find in the quiet of the forest.

A fun fact or something else to share:  I really enjoyed using a Clauss Dome on my hive when the super is not on. It allows me to see in without having to actually get into the hive, it distributes heat evenly, and it makes moisture roll down the sides which served me well this winter.  

When did you start beekeeping?  April 15, 2020
Certification Level: Apprentice (Mary)
How many hives do you have/keep? 1-2 hives in backyard (Seattle) and 3-4 hives on a 10 acre horse farm in Getchell.

What got you into beekeeping?  Dave Pehling taught the beginner class that we took in fall 2019. He inspired us to try.  Then COVID hit and beekeeping was a good thing to do outdoors with minimal human interaction. Plus therapeutic! Dave encouraged us to join  the NWDBA and shortly thereafter Mary became a Board member. Megan mentored us at key moments and we are now hooked.
What would you share with newer beekeepers?  The first few years are really hard and expensive. It seems like you are constantly feeding bees because they do not have drawn comb or food stores in many cases. You are having to buy new equipment and hive boxes and queens as you do splits and treat for varroa. It is daunting, but don't give up.  It gets easier and costs less as you accumulate equipment and knowledge.
What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  Mary:  I find that working with the bees calms me and that they are a good barometer of my mood. They force me to take deep breaths and relax, be in the moment and work with them to make sure they have what they need without disturbing them too much. Mike: honey.
A fun fact or something else to share: Bees have a very sophisticated chemical communication system where they use pheromone production to dispense information about the state of the hive, such as: do we have a healthy and productive queen? are we under attack from varroa mites or other pests? do we need to shift more bees from the role of nurse bee to food messenger to forager? do we need to invest in more propolis production? etc. I love to think about how they get a whiff of the hive when they step inside and it tells them everything they need to know!

When did you start beekeeping? 2020-in the midst of COVID

Certification Level: Beginner

How many hives do you have/keep? 2-4

What got you into beekeeping? I have always been interested in beekeeping, but never had the time to actually pursue it until COVID lockdowns freed up my schedule a bit.  During this time, I homeschooled my 3 kids and we started doing it together as a homeschool project.  My kids are long back in school by now, but I loved beekeeping so much, I kept at it despite my post-COVID busy life!

What would you share with newer beekeepers? I would 100% tell a new beekeeper to join a club or have a support system of some sort.  There are SO many questions that come up and not having that connection can make it hard for beekeepers (of any level).

What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  I love that I am constantly learning.  Bees are fascinating! Lately I have been really interested in the medicinal value of honey and bee venom.  Secondly, I love giving my friends and family little jars of honey when going over for dinner or around the holidays.  They make great teacher or coach "thank you" gifts as well!

A fun fact or something else to share: I am actually allergic to bee venom which makes me quite sick.  I see an allergist to control the reactions.  I may just be a glutton for punishment. ;)

When did you start beekeeping?  February 16, 2016

Certification Level: Apprentice (working on Journeyman)

How many hives do you have/keep? 2-3 hives in backyard IN Lynnwood

What got you into beekeeping?  A commercial semi load of bee hives spilled on I-5 and many came to my yard.  I was fascinated. Also, I saw the 'kickstarter ' invention for the Flow Hive Concept that was just starting in Australia as a new way to extract honey.  Anyway, I was interested in Conservation of our environment, since my dad worked as a scientific engineer for NOAH, I grew up appreciating nature. My family gave me a gift for my birthday and my husband and started taking classes at Swansons Nursery in Ballard.  We joined the NWDBA club and keep learning about bees.  Fascinating creatures!

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  Enjoy watching your bees.  It is mesmerizing and relaxing, too. 

What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  Beekeeping adds an element of excitement to my life - when I suit up, I get pretty ready  to be amazed.  I get a lift when I lift the cover off a hive and see the bees working and living in complete harmony.  Fascinating.  And, I love the Honey (I'm hooked)!

A fun fact or something else to share: Bees use 'waggle' dancing to communicate.

When did you start beekeeping?  April 2022

Certification Level: Apprentice

How many hives do you have/keep? Five hives in various locations

What got you into beekeeping? It was cheaper than flying lessons

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  Be ready to bee amazed 

What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  The experience and the uniqueness and the honey and wax

A fun fact or something else to share: Bees do not fly in the dark. Some people have suggested that bees may drop to the ground when lights turn off as an adaptation to avoid predators flying overhead. 

TBD

When did you start beekeeping? 2016

Certification Level: Apprentice 

How many hives do you have/keep? 2 currently, the most I've had is 6

What got you into beekeeping? I was making a lot of homemade salves and elderberry syrup and thought it would be nice to have my own honey and wax source. It has to be less expensive, right??? Definitely wrong! 

What would you share with newer beekeepers?  Take a class and come to meetings. There's so much to learn and don't feel like you have to learn it all about once. You'll learn through your mistakes even more than your successes. Don't get discouraged!
What's your favorite thing about being a beekeeper?  I love watching the patterns as bees come out of the hive and how there's never one right answer in beekeeping.

A fun fact or something else to share: In addition to bees, we have lots of other animals including chickens, dogs, cats, and breed snakes (ball pythons). We're practically our own mini-zoo!!