The Bees are Coming!

So I spent this past winter learning everything I could about beekeeping.  I took a fantastic course with the Lehigh Valley Beekeepers Association that I highly recommend.  It was a four week course that answered a ton of questions and provided us with sources to purchase our bees and equipment.

Our honeybees are in trouble!  This year alone 50%-90% of bees owned by commercial beekeepers were lost and no one really knows why...there has been speculation that chemical pesticides are to blame.  If every household was inspired to learn how to grow a simple vegetable garden and keep one hive of bees, we may have a chance of reversing this tragic loss.  Honeybees pollinate the food we eat, without them we will certainly starve.  Encourage your family, friends and neighbors to stop treating their lawns or better yet, get rid of their lawns all together and grow a beautiful front yard garden reminiscent of an English cottage garden.  Herbs, vegetables and beautiful flowers can fill your home with healing, nourishment and beautiful visual and scent-sual beauty.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is one of the first major sources of food for bees.  Dandelion blossoms have a honey like flavor that make a wonderful jelly, tea or wine.  The leaves of dandelion are mineral and vitamin rich and can be used in salads (I recently saw dandelion greens at the local supermarket being sold as "gourmet" and costing $3.99 a bunch!!) and the root of dandelion is a powerful diuretic and kidney tonic that does not strip necessary potassium from the body.  So get out there and see what is growing in your lawn that is edible and nourishing...it is empowering to feed your family, save $$ and connect with the bounty of the earth in a hands on way.

I recently met Frank Licata, a local Monroe County beekeeper and vice president of the Monroe County Beekeepers Association.  Frank was a helpful source of information, makes lotion and soap with his honey from his hives and offers beginner beekeeper classes and lotion and soapmaking classes locally.  Frank can be reached at
fjlicata@yahoo.com

So my bees will be arriving this Friday, May 17th and I am beyond excited!  It's like the feeling you get as a first time mom, excited and nervous at the same time...I have a feeling that this will be a lifelong love affair and will keep you posted on my adventures into "Sacred Beekeeping"....Spring Blessings to all...