The Heartland Bee Newsletter

September 2022 (23rd edition)

My Story - Becoming a Beekeeper

by Sonja Tyus

I began beekeeping as a helper to my partner back in 2006, basically just tagging along as we began our life together. He gave me a brand new bee suit that was a bit too big, and gloves that very much were too big. I was surprisingly unafraid, as I put great faith in my partner and the protective gear he furnished me with that first foray into the apiary with him and his bees. I found myself being gently drawn into that world, soothed by the slow and steady timbre of his voice as he explained what he was doing, and the steady hum of the bees as he carefully moved frames of brood and honey around while he inspected the hive. I fell in love with the craft of keeping bees in short time.

Then came the honey extracting part of this endeavor. It was hot and sticky work. You want it to be warm when you extract the honey from the comb as it makes it so much easier. It flows so much better when it is warm. Getting the taste of fresh honey right from the comb was such a delight, it spurred me on to want more. You don’t extract honey where you keep your bees, as they will find the robbed honey quickly, and will take it right back from you. I’ll never forget the time the Sheriff stopped to check out what my partner and I were doing in an empty construction lot where we thought we would be acceptable to work, away from people and the apiary. He listened to our explanation, and happily left us to finish the job, with a small taste of the honey and our phone number so that he could purchase some honey when we got it bottled. Empty frames got put back in the apiary so that the bees could clean them up in no time.

After the harvest came the bottling and selling. It did not take any time at all to sell the honey as my partner had customers in line already from prior years. The neighborhood was also very happy to know the honey was again available for purchase, and the honey stand at the end of the driveway was filled every day until every jar was gone. In our neighborhood we could still get away with a money box and the honor system. You get to know your neighbors when you sell honey! Gift giving is also made easy when you have your own honey from your bees.

My partner also taught me how to render beeswax, and I quickly took up making candles. He welded a special vessel from a bain-marie that I had in my kitchen supplies so that I could more easily collect the wax. It wasn’t long before I had beautiful golden slabs of beeswax that smell almost like honey.

So many good things come from the hive, and I am so grateful to have learned from him, and so many others, on how to keep bees and to enjoy the industrious nature of these fascinating insects and the lessons they bestow upon me.

The Heartland Beekeepers Association, in conjunction with the Highlands County Master Gardener Volunteers, are offering a Beginner’s Beekeeping Course at the Bert Harris Agriculture Center on September 10, 2022 from 9 am – 4 pm in Sebring, Fl. There is a fee of $30 which includes lunch.
Please call 863-402-6540 for more information on the course.