Frequently Asked Questions
Most of our friends think we are crazy for keeping bees, and we seem to get the same questions over and over. So, here’s a quick Q&A to clear things up:
Why do you keep bees?
It’s primarily to help out the bee population. Almost 90% of the world’s feral honey bees have disappeared over the past few years. Scientists don’t know exactly why. It could be a combination of many factors, including environmental change-related stresses, malnutrition, pesticides, genetically modified crops, viruses and parasites. A third of our food supply depends in part or in full on insect pollination, mostly from honey bees.
Were you afraid of getting stung?
Yes, but we have learned that most likely won’t happen. Honey bees sting to defend the hive and to protect the honey that they’ve worked hard to make. Workers rarely sting when they’re in the field. They’re too busy collecting nectar and pollen.
Is it time consuming?
Not really. It took a few hours to assemble and paint the hives. We’ll spend about 30 minutes every couple of weeks in the hives until the honey harvest in July. There is some prep-work for overwintering and stuff, but most time will be spent during the honey harvest. On average, a beekeeper will spend 40 hours a year with their hives. But we’ll probably spend more. We love it!
AshHillApiary 