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I was too busy to post about bees this year….and too busy to take care of them in reality.
This fall, the state apiary guys put out word to expect to get wiped out…colony collapse pending…with multiple factors….timing of wet fall made treatment for mites tough…late, warm fall with large clusters of busy bees using winter resources…..
They weren’t wrong. 75% of my hives are already dead.
That’s about 3 years in a row when I’ve been completely kicked in the stinger with dead bees and starting over. With changes in job and a personal issue, this is the first year I’m not certain what I’m going to do. I’ve managed to build a name in the area, I’ve developed a couple of products that are selling well….but the time and expense of starting over every year, hard work and low profit margins…..
Bee keeping more than small hobby level is not for the weak of heart…that I can tell you.
I’ll always have some hives at least for friends and family but I’m not positive what I’m going to do with the store level part of this going forward. Bee keeping is about as humbling as anything you can do.
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