The buzz on beekeeping
MASTER BEEKEEPERS SHARE TIPS FOR ASPIRING HONEY SEEKERS
Andrew Cote is proof that you don’t need lots of land to take care of bees.
A longtime beekeeper, Cote learned the art of caring for bees and cultivating honey from his family, which has been working honey bees since the 1800s. Today, he has bees on top of buildings in Manhattan and in yards across Fairfield and Westchester
County and sells his own line of honey.
There are currently about 2,000 to 3,000 beekeepers in Connecticut, ranging from professional beekeepers selling honey at farm markets to hobbyist beekeepers, who may have just one apiary ( bee yard) in a 6- foot by 6- foot space to produce honey for their own family.
Splitting his time between Norwalk and Manhattan, Cote has long enjoyed the solitary nature of working outside with his bees and finds it quite meditative. “I hardly noticed the restrictions placed on me by COVID- 19 because I had already been living a hermitlike existence in most ways,” he said.
While interest in beekeeping has been growing exponentially in Connecticut, those interested in becoming beekeepers should note: keeping bees isn’t like owning a cat or dog.
Cote recommends people interested in keeping bees read books on the subject and find a local beekeeping group to join.
“The best thing one can do would be to find a mentor and spend an entire season working with that mentor in really understanding the hard slog,” Cote said, “the sort of Calvinistic approach to life that beekeeping demands, and make sure it is right because one does not want to invest all that time and money in living creatures if it’s not for them. That being said, I encourage anyone to try it as it is a fulfilling pastime.”
Bill Hesbach, a certified master beekeeper and president of the Connecticut Bees Association, said his association offers many resources and a mentorship program.
“My advice to any new beekeeper would be to do a lot of research and try to find a mentor in the area and apprentice with them for a season or two before you decide to take on the task of beekeeping,” he said. “It is an extraordinary experience to be a beekeeper, if you can get past the idea that you have to learn about a complicated biological system. And they sting, so you have to learn how to manage the colonies and how to handle yourself around them.”
Hesbach said beekeeping is extremely complicated. Most people get discouraged because they mishandle their bees especially early in the learning process. Sometimes, bees don’t do so well; they get sick or die, making those who got into beekeeping to save a colony quite upset if their colony fails. “It’s an interesting undertaking but it requires vigilance and devotion,” he said.
Cote said beekeepers don’t need to worry about providing flowers for bees; they will fly up to three miles in any direction to search out the best floral source to provide nectar and pollen. “They will find what they need,” he said.
Asked about the benefits of beekeeping, Cote mentioned the health benefits of honey, along with the simple activity of being outside in nature.
“I think that [ beekeepers], by virtue of being physical, by being outside, by needing to keep themselves moving and their bodies and minds sharp, I think that contributes to their healthy lifestyle,” Cote said.
Hesbach said that people get into beekeeping for all sorts of reasons, from being fascinated by bees to wanting to be healthy and enjoy honey or a desire to save bees. People attract bees, sure, but “somehow bees attract people,” he said.
Folks interested in beekeeping should take things slowly and take time to learn the ins and outs of beekeeping, even before buying their first queen bee.
“Don’t rush into it. The biggest mistake people make is they get excited about becoming a beekeeper and then they go out and buy equipment and they go buy bees and they have no knowledge of how to care for them,” Hesbach said, explaining beekeeping is not for everyone. “You have to do it the other way, you have to learn about bees and beekeeping from beekeepers who can guide you through the process slowly so you learn. Most people that are serious — that make it past two or three years — they get this sort of bee fever and stay with it.”
“I HARDLY NOTICED THE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON ME BY COVID- 19 BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY BEEN LIVING A HERMIT- LIKE EXISTENCE IN MOST WAYS.”