Thinking about this as a hobby

[firesquirt]

Hello my name is John, I am a fire Captain in the Coachella valley, California. My first exposure was a few years back when I responded to a call for bees in a vehicle... and sure enough when we arrived I found a pickup truck with a swarm of bees inside. Being that this was in the middle of town we isolated the area until someone could come deal with the bees. Well fortunately the people who were called removed bees alive and when they arrived they drove right passed us parked next to the truck with the bees and a guy wearing a tank top and shorts gets out ( I was expecting him to be wearing some sort of haz-mat suit) he opens the door to the truck and starts to vacuum the bees out of the cab.

OK NOW I AM CURIOUS... I walk over to the guy and start asking questions.... and I am just astonished by this whole beekeeping thing, and very delighted that they do not kill the bees.

I have been on about 5 bee rescues now and for me it is all about rescuing the bees from people not the other way around (well one time two guys were trapped in the top of a palm tree and I did need to spry the bees with soap to get to them, the guys not the bees) any way now I have been stung by the need and really want to start beekeeping as a hobby or maybe even a side line.

So I will be prowling around these forums as I soak up knowledge.


Talk to you later and thanks for this kind of support.

[Moonshae]

Good luck, and welcome to the hobby! Great time to start reading, so you have a chance to learn before you need to pick your equipment in preparation for spring.

[Cindi]

John, welcome to our forum.  You have found the place where you can spend wonderful time learning about the bees that I know one day you will keep.  You are under their spell...the honeybees have a way of making us desire to look after them, and delve into their mysterious little world.  You will enjoy beekeeping, the times that you will spend with these girls will be the most wholesome and wonderful times.  Study, learn, and next spring, get the equipment you will need, order your bees, and you will be on an adventure that you will never regret, nor ever look back.  Welcome.  Have the most wonderful and greatest of days.  Cindi

[qa33010]

   Welcome and thanks for the visual image of two guys treed by bees.  A RIOT!  Having spent my childhood around coonhounds and Andy Griffith Shows I.... ah well it's a hilarious image to me.  My wife is too tired to do more than smile and go to sleep! 

   Did ya havta shine'em Vern?  (The guys I mean)

[Frantz]

John,
I have to admit, the best thing about beekeeping or (beehaving) is walking through a group of people petrified of what could happen and grabing the swarm, or whatever and walking off. With that big smile that just says " I am freeeaaking brave and tough"
Just call me lion tamer!! However,,, Walking through flames??? No thanks, I leave that to the brave!!
Anyway, look forward to hearing from you and learning together. I have a couple of really good friends that are firemen and my brother is training right now.
Thanks for all you do, you guys are a special breed...
Frantz

[mtman1849]

One firefighter to another you couldn't have a better hobby. I am a volunteer fireman in NC and I have been keeping bees for about 10years I guess it is the one hobby that I haven't given up over the year.  It may be because you learn something new everday

[eivindm]

Welcome aboard!

I lurked around here from the start of the forum a few years back and until this spring!   I hope you get started a bit quicker than that   The hobby is all I hoped for, and great break from a hectic life.  When I stand over the hives, all worries vanishes

I have learned a lot from this forum, and reading posts here has helped me a lot.  Especially it has helped me handle "strange" situations, that is, something that's not mentioned in the beekeeping books, as peolple here ask about all sorts of things.  As my mentor here in Norway says, "I don't think the bees read these beekeeping books"

Good luck!