In the Fall 2008 North Carolina Bee Buzz (newsletter for the NC State Beekeepers Assn), there's an article written by Calvin Robinson "What Can I Do to Help the Bees?" He does not use chemicals to treat his bees although when he first started beekeeping he was encouraged to use chemicals. This is still the school of thought for many beekeepers. Mr. Robinson is now raising his own queens, not using chemicals and not using bought foundation.
When I first started beekeeping, I did treat my bees with chemicals during the winter (I was also encouraged by my mentor to treat with chemicals) but after the first year I decided to stop. I have 3 hives and 2 nucs - all healthy and full of bees - ready for the winter.
Five hives is about the most I can or want to handle and provides me with more honey than I can possibly use during the year.
In his article, Mr. Robinson makes a very valid point - we need more beekeepers with 2 or 3 hives. A hobbyist beekeeper with a couple of hives can devote more time to observation, innovation, and experimentation than a commercial beekeeper who is having to meet a bottom line.
If you know of someone who is interested in beekeeping, please encourage them to attend some local beekeeper meetings. Better yet, visit the NC State Fair this year - there will be a great bee exhibit and lots of folks to answer questions.
