100 or so local beekeepers came together for a "bee conference" today at Ken Hays' honey kingdom
down in Bosque Farms. I was there, as a wannabeekeeper intent on picking up a tip or two before my first hive arrives this week. Here are more photos
from the bee summit and here's a quick roundup of what I learned about beekeeping in New Mexico:
- Due to our cold winters, we don't yet have africanized honeybees in Albuquerque.
- It's hard to mate a queen because of our spring winds.
- You must provide water year-round for your bees. Include some floating twigs or bark so the bees won't drown when drinking.
- Afternoon shade is a good thing.
- You can puff smoke from the creosote bush inside the hive to ward off that nasty varroa mite.
- The UNM area with all of its flowering trees is a great place to keep bees.
- In fact, Albuquerque in general is frequently a better place to keep bees than the surrounding rural areas.
I'm still learning lots. Whether, it's a hive opening with TJ the bee sage
on the roof of his NE Heights home last month, or chatter on the ABQ Beeks Yahoo Group
started by Jerry Anderson, I'm in full-on neophyte mode. Fortunately, as today's meeting confirmed, there's a tight community of local beekeepers to help out.