special delivery for the new beekeeper

Beekeeping for a beginner is like being a first time parent. Lots of trial by error and maybe a little intuition with lots of going along and crossing fingers that you didn’t mess up too bad. You can read the books, and you might listen to lectures and podcasts, but interaction with real people and real-life experience is what you learn the most from. First, accept that you are not an expert, and you will mess up. Now that you have learned a little bit, just start the project already. Not all of it will work for you. You WILL adapt. If you love it, you will make the time.

Working in Amanda’s hives

In January of this year, I ordered my bees from a local beekeeper. I carefully made my shopping list, filled out an order form, wrote a check for about $1100, and dropped it all in the mail. It would be months before I would see my gear or my bees, and still not a day went by that I didn't look forward to their arrival like Christmas for a 6-year-old. I talked to whoever would listen about my bees. While I waited for them, I decided I would name the hives Latifah and Amidala: two of my favorite queens. I knew it was possible I may lose queens and need new names, so I thought it would be fun to name each one after another fictional queen. Naming them made it even more exciting to look forward too. I started to love them. It was like anticipating the birth of a new baby.

In the car, heading to pick up the bees. Me on the left, my beekeeper, friend, Amanda, on the right.

Similar to expecting a human baby, I experienced doubt and fear the closer it came to delivery. I pushed through it, thinking about the honey and the hum of the hives that I had grown to love and look forward to. Last year as a new beekeeper, I paired up with my friend Amanda. She was just starting out and welcomed the company and help. We shared the labor—and the honey, of course! All summer, I considered having my own hives but wasn't 100% sure I was going to give it a try until I sent that check in January.

Installing Amidala’s nuc on delivery day.

Because of a cold and wet spring, my delivery was delayed. On June 12, I picked up my tiny little bee colonies and installed them to brand new hive bodies in my yard. I live in a city with a population of 32, 236. There is a major highway that runs adjacent to my property, and I live on one of the major streets of our city. Before I started this thing, I never would have guessed that this was even possible here. After I started learning from Amanda who took a beekeeping class, and after many hours of watching beekeeping videos and reading a few educational books, I learned that beekeeping can be done on roof tops in large cities. It can be done without having elaborate landscaping. You don’t have to harvest or sell honey if you don’t want to. Beekeeping looks different for different people. However, beekeeping isn't easy. And it isn’t cheap either. At least at first.

Queen Amidala and her court!

Amanda and I drove back to my house with the two nucs (this is beekeeper speak for new tiny colonies) in the trunk of my Toyota Camry. We laughed a little remembering when my daughter was born. We shared another very exciting ride to the hospital that day!

As soon as we arrived home, Amanda went right to my deck to don her suit. I went right to the open trunk to decide who would be Latifah and who would be Amidala. Distracted, I reached in and grabbed one of the nucs, which was wrapped in a mesh laundry bag tied with a draw string. Peter, the beekeeper we got them from, explained that there were so many bees hanging on the outside of the box that wrapping it would prevent them from flying around the car. So naturally, I had grabbed that one and was stung instantly on the palm of my hand for my foolishness.

I looked at Amanda, a bit shocked, and said, “Who do you think would be saltier, Latifah or Amidala?”

Amanda said, "Oh Latifa for sure."

And then they had names.

We went on to move Latifah's five frames of bees and eggs and larva and honey into a hive body that had been sitting for weeks waiting to be filled. I carefully watched each frame for a bit to spot the queen bee. Latifah did not show up or for photo shoot, but her frames told me everything I needed to know, even though I did not see her that day. Her bees were large and loud.

Next, we moved Amidala's five frames to her hive. Her frames were also full of life and her bees were small and had a dainty little hum. I found her among her court and got several photos! I put the last outer cover on Amidala's castle and stepped back to look at them for a minute.

I drew a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh of satisfaction like I had just tucked newborn twins into their basinets. This is real, I thought unable to take my eyes off them. It’s real, and it's happening right now.