Marie, There's nothing like the first taste of honey from your hive, except maybe the 2nd 3rd 4th ect. Every time you have a spoonful, you'll be amazed at how good it is, especially knowing how it was made and that you had a small part in it all. I'd be interested to know more details about the town banning bees. Where is it? Was it because of a complaint?

for the moment the town's name has slipped myh mind. North of Lexington; I'll remember it momentarily. The story I heard is the area she lives is rather densely populated, and her hives were near the road. The people who complained were desribed in uncomplimentary terms, implying lack of education,lower class and looking for trouble. They got a petition going and collected 75 signatures because it claimed 'bees are attacking people in the area". I think it was Wilmington, MA. After the hive is moved, I think the owner and some others will push back legally, but not until the hive is safe.

In response, as I understand it, the town "banned bees." which I heard can't be done. It did, nevertheless.

I have a new neighbor who has proven fussy about the appearance of property. I keep quiet about the bees because I'm betting she'd worry about her child, although we are many hundred's of yards and trees away.

It's amazing how different people are. Our front yard is full of plants and wild flowers including flox and milkweed. I even planted buckwheat on one side. Our neighbors have grass that they cut at least twice a week and is never allowed to grow over 3/4" high. They pull up every dandelion they see in their yard. We can't wait for ours to come out so we can pick and cook the greens and the bees can forage on the flowers. Our front and backyards are buzzing with bees, wasps, butterflies and hummingbirds and we get along fine with the neighbors.

"My bee-teacher says she sells 800 pounds of honey a year to someone who supplies it for beer making"

OH-MY what a waste of good honey !!

Honeyman, I agree. Although I occasionally like a taste of a good stout, I wouldn't want to use honey to make beer. Someone enquired about some honey last year for mead making. By the time they asked I had sold all of my bulk honey and the rest was in 1/2 and 1 lb jars (except for the 150lbs in buckets that we keep for our own use)

hello honeyman,
it's fun to see who's lurking and what information excites people to comment. I agree, its not how i'd use my honey. But it helps keep a good beekeeper in business, so she can spend hundreds of hours without reimbursement helping new keepers get started.

We keep 2 of our hives in our town (pop. about 4,000), right in our back yard, near a busy state route. We live in a developed area, but make sure to give our nearest neighbors a jar of honey each Christmas......No complaints thus far (even though a Day Care for children is along that property line about 25-30 yards from the hives.) I even walked the Day Care owner right in front of the hives to show her the property line. She was really suprised at how docile they were.
Since our hives are also near a busy highway, we get many folks stopping by to ask if we'd remove bees or if we sell our honey. (Knock on wood) no one has ever given us hell about our bees except to say they havent seen them out pollinating THEIR gardens! I tell them that they will get to theirs when they are done with mine. :)

Jackie

Bee Keepers & Bee Keeper Wanna Bees...
You Know who you are.
We would love a 2008 update. I have been seeing a lot of bees that I think are honey bees. How is your year been? kt