I promised myself I would not blog about bees for a fifth day in a row, but then my husband came back from an evening event in Chicago full of info about some buzz’n kits we might be able to buy for our Central Indiana farm.
From what I can tell, kits like these from Murray McMurray Hatchery, are great for helping pollinate gardens. My family maintains a significant garden and has a summer roadside business, so we’re going to have to check this out.
Here’s another great site – Pollinator Paradise – with loads of research and resources for the would-be honeybee hobbyist.
I’m not sure we’d want to get into the honey business, but according to the Agriculture Department there are an estimated 140,000 to 212,000 beekeepers in the U.S., most of them (95 percent) considered “hobbyists” with fewer than 25 hives. More info about this sweet biz from the National Honey Board [Which is yet another good source of info about Colony Collapse Disorder].
For City Farmgirls and those not interested in pollinators, check out these alternative bee kits from one of my favorite green companies, Burt’s Bees.
[Photo links to a page featuring the New Mexico Native Bee Pollinator Project.]
Virtual Farmgirl 