A Time For Planning: Beekeeping on Nantucket

A brood frame

On Sunday late afternoon, Nantucket beekeepers and those exploring the idea of keeping bees will meet to discuss various topics, tell stories and learn about beekeeping. You might call it a beekeeping gam.....but it is so much more than the telling of stories and tales of the hive.
There are many practical decisions beekeepers must think about if just beginning. Then one must order bees and decide size and style of hives. The hives can be built from scratch, kits or bought used......or maybe you've inherited some hives from someone else. Used hives must be cleaned and maybe sanded and painted. We discuss various methods to recognize a hive pest or disease and whether or not we want to use chemicals to manage a pathogen or pest. In Massachusetts we have State Hive Inspectors. If you would like to have your hive(s) inspected or would like to send a sample from your hive to help identify a pathogen or pest contact:
Kim Skyrm, Ph.D.
Chief Apiary Inspector/Apiary Program Coordinator
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA  02114
email: Kim.Skyrm@state.ma.us
Office: Amherst 413-548-1905; Boston 617-626-1801
Fax: Amherst 413-548-1901; Boston 617-626-1850

Hives in late spring

Research and stories written based on experience is plentiful on websites, blogs and in journals. are helpful for all beekeepers at the beginning stage or those with a life time of experience.
Beekeeping is an art and some of my favorite art comes from the world of honey bees in the form of colors, patterns, flavors of honey and propolis. The physics of architecture is apparent in every cell the bees manufacture from materials produced by the bees themselves.
Some observent beekeepers recognize the world in a new way. learning about blossoms, the physics, biology and chemistry of building a wax cell and weather patterns in depth. It is amazing how many different theories individual beekeepers and scientists alike develop, regarding honeybees. At some point we learn how much we don't know and how curious we are.

A package of bees

If interested in joining us, please leave a message in the comments section or search for Nantucket bACKyard beekeepers on Facebook for details.