Our Exploratory Beekeeping Meeting

Hi again. We had our exploratory beekeeping meeting. A few interested members from the neighborhood attended. The VP from the Delaware Beekeepers association brought her father, who is an avid beekeeper himself. It was an honor to have them both take time from their day to educate us. We had a representative from our property management attend also. She stayed late so she could accommodate our meeting and take notes.

We learned more about bees and our reliance on them for food. One out of every three bites of our food come from bees. In Asia, the issue is so dire that humans are pollinating flowers with feathers. It's freaking crazy that there aren't sirens blasting. Why is the population ambivalent? Am I going to become that way too? I pulled this video from U Tube for your viewing pleasure.

In another blog entry, I will go into some details on how awesome bees are. They have a world of their own with jobs and precise measurements and exactness. All I can think is how awesome our Creator is and how the whole ecology is linked and interdependent. If a link breaks, the chain becomes weak - then weaker.

That all being said, the first concern raised was regarding potential homeowners opposition to having bees on the property. There are several scenarios addressed starting from random bee stingings to humans or pets messing with the hive. We discussed potential areas for a hive or two. Anyway, I learned that the neighborhood already has a golf course Audubon certification and they would like an Audubon certification for the neighborhood. I also learned that members of the nature committee have started a butterfly sanctuary and herb garden in a different part of the neighborhood. That might be a good location for a hive. They said that having bees might help us on our way to that certification. BTW - I had to look up info on the Audubon Society on Wiki. A blurb has been pasted in the last paragraph.

So what's next? We have to start doing some research on potential areas for a hive. We will develop a business case and present it to the management board. If all goes well, we will begin the process of acquiring the materials for the hive. It's too late in the season now to start the hive, but we can learn and prepare over the winter and be ready in early spring.

I will share our business case with you and let you know how the property management responds to our proposal. I'm hoping our journey will be positive. I will take notes, and pictures and videos to share with you.

Happy Spring! It's only May and we hit 90s yesterday. Perfect day for a paddle on the Rehoboth Bay.

WIKI. "The National Audubon Society (Audubon) is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission. It is named in honor of John James Audubon, a Franco-American ornithologist and naturalist who painted, cataloged, and described the birds of North America in his famous book Birds of America published in sections between 1827 and 1838."