Hi from WA

[slaphead]

Hello,

I'm a newbie based just outside Seattle.  Started last year with a single colony (which I lost to starvation, totally my fault) and are preparing to setup two hives this year.  Decided to move from books to practice last spring when I noticed a near complete absence of honey bees in the garden. 

A fairly experienced organic gardener, I intend to go the organic bee keeping route and hope to add to the population of resistant bees over the next few years.  Fortunately there are a fair number of chemical-free bee keepers in this area and it looks like I may not be short of mentors.

I've no interest in becoming commercial.

Slaphead

[BjornBee]

Welcome to the site.

Yes, and it seem a good amount from Washington are also here on this site.

[poka-bee]

 Welcome! You have come to the right place for info & friendship!  There are quite a few of us here in the Seattle'ish area. We all lost bees last spring, was a weird one weatherwise. Ask questions, you will get many many different answers so you can choose what works for you in your own microclimate.  Here in the PNW there are so many variables that things are totally different just a few miles away.  Brian B is a goldmine of info, he doesn't use any chems.  I don't either but am new so don't know as much.  Again Welcome!  J

[Cindi]

Slaphead, welcome to our forum, so nice that you have found us.  Stick around, this can be a place where you can tell us your stories and experiences, make new friends, ask questions.  Have a wonderful and great day, health.  Cindi

[Brian D. Bray]

I'm always willing to help a newbee.  I live at the gateway to the San Juan Islands so floods don't affect me but the rest of the weather does.  2 feet of snow spent 3 weeks on the ground, rather unusual as you are aware.  When you get ready to install your packages PM me and I'll talk you through my 5 minute hiving technique.  I hope you saved the comb from the hive that starved, it will give your new packages a 2 week head start over last year.

[1reb]

Hello and Welcome Slaphead
There is alot of great information on the forum !!
The members here are willing help and answer your questions, all you need to do is to ask
Johnny

[slaphead]

Thank you for the welcome.  I'm going to appreciate all the advice and insights this community can provide.

Brian,

I kept the combs and froze them for a week to kill any wax moth eggs.  Is there anything I should do to prep them for the new colony?

Cindi,

Loved your various posts on planting for bees in BC. I'm intending to saw a mix of "native" PNW annuals in the spring in the hope it might help supplement the forage for my colonies.  Here is the list (below).  I'm interested to hear what you make of it.

SH

Botanical Name                             Common Name
Achillea millefolium var California    California Yarrow
Clarkia amoena                            Godetia
Clarkia unguiculata                    Farewell to Spring
Collinsia heterophylla                    Chinese Houses
Coreopsis tinctoria                    Plains Coreopsis
Eschscholzia californica            California Poppy
Gilia capitata                            Globe Gilia
Gilia tricolor                            Bird's Eyes
Layia platyglossa                            Tidy Tips
Linanthus grandiflorus                    Mountain Phlox
Linum perenne lewisii                    Blue Flax
Lupinus albicaulis                            Sickle-keeled Lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus                    Russell Lupine
Mertzelia lindleyi                            Blazing Star
Nemophila maculata                    Five Spot
Nemophila menziesii                    Baby Blue Eyes
Oenothera hookeri                    Evening Primrose
Phacelia campanularia                    California Bluebell

[Cindi]

Slaphead, I have copied your list and I am going to make a new thread in the gardening forum.  I will have a few comments, you will see them.  Have a great and wonderful day.  Cindi