Fat Mountain Queens
Our mother queens are chosen for winter-hardiness, mite resistance, frugality with honey stores, and responsiveness to nectar dearth. This means that they keep mite numbers low. We use a mid-winter application of Oxalic Acid vaporization if necessary. Colonies go into winter carrying modest numbers of bees, enough to keep warm, but not so many that excessive honey stores are needed.  When a dearth occurs, the bees stop producing brood in response, and resume again when nectar is available.  Our bees are gentle enough to work bare-handed, but aggressive enough that you want to wear a veil.  We believe that slightly more aggressive bees survive mites better, but we don't tolerate bees that we dread working. Our bees live next to our happy pigs, and do not chase us out of our garden or apiary if we go to  them without a veil.

Beginning Beekeeping Classes, 2022
This class series will be taught by Tina Sebestyen, Master Beekeeper, frequent contributor to the American Bee Journal and Bee Culture, as well as some bee magazines over-seas. This class is an approved pre-requisite to the CSBA Master Beekeeper Certification Program. To be held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, ext. building. There will be plenty of room for social distancing, or watch via Zoom. I'll have different types of hive bodies for you to examine. Pre-registration is required. 
Date to be announced, email for information bee.seeking@gmail.com

 

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