Getting Started

[Eugene]

Hi everyone!!!

My name is Eugene and I'm pretty new into beekeeping. However, my father is a beekeeper in Europe and I would love to do something like that in Virginia. Can anyone come up with some ideas, suggestions or advises on how to get started? Also, my father is visiting me this month and we would like to visit some farms and see what is the setup. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[Kristina]

Hi Eugene, welcome to the world of Beekeepers! 

To get started in beekeeping it is helpful to join a local beekeeping club, and to take a beekeeping class. Loudoun Beekeepers Association offers a class every late winter. It is over the course of several weeks (one night or Saturday morning per week), and includes a field day, too. After the class you can order package bees or nucs through the club and start right away. The biggest advantage after taking the class is that you get paired up with a mentor whom you can shadow, whom you can call for advice, and who will be willing to come out to your place and give you a hand with your hive if needed.

Regarding joining a local club, you are at the right place! The LBA meetings are every month and always cover interesting topics. You will meet a lot of people who love talking about their bees and share advice.

It is great that you will have a good mentor on your father but it is also very helpful to know beekeepers in your area to know what is locally going on in your and your neighbors' hives ("Has the main nectar flow already started?", "Where is the bear?" ...)

The LBA online member's forum has a wealth of knowledge and information and connects you to other Beekeepers as well.

If you would like to you can come and visit my apiary with your father. I'm from Europe, too, and some things are different in beekeeping here, than in Europe. I have currently about 35 hives and nucs. PM me if you are interested.

 

[Kristina]

Eugene, thanks for coming out with your Dad to visit me and my bees! 

It was so interesting to hear about beekeeping in Moldavia, and delicious to exchange honey! I think I learned at least as much as you did. I still can't believe he doesn't have to deal with varroa mites and SHB! Several of the things he showed me on pictures of his hives would be great improvements for my hives, too, that I might implement.

To all other Beekeepers: Use opportunities like this , or volunteering at an outreach event, to talk about bees and beekeeping. It is a lot of fun, and sometimes you get even more back than you give.

[Eugene]

Hi Kristina! Thank you for giving us such an opportunity! It was really nice of you and a great experience for me and my father. We did learn a lot about beekeeping here in the DMV area! The honey was delicious!

Wish you best of luck and hopefully we can get together again for some knowledge exchange.

-Eugene