Comment on Does it make sense to buy a lifetime supply of honey?
pishadoot@sh.itjust.works 3 days agoHello! I have considered getting into bee keeping as a retirement thing but I don’t know a good resource to start learning.
Are there any good online communities you can recommend, forums, etc?
BillibusMaximus@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
When I was first starting out, I spent a lot of time at the BeeSource forums. I haven’t been there in a while, so I don’t know how it currently is, but I found it a good resource initially. FWIW, I always found the beekeeping-related subreddits to be pretty hit and miss.
There are tons of books available, possibly from your local library, but some are better than others. Wicwas press has a lot of good books, but I think they skew more towards advanced beginner and later, rather than the basic beginner.
But most importantly, there’s a saying that “all beekeeping is local”. While the basics are generally the same everywhere, the specifics vary depending on location. Not only things like temperature, humidity, and rainfall, but also what kinds of plants bloom, when and how often.
So regardless of any reading or other research you do, one of the best things you can do to learn is join a local beekeeping club. There will surely be members that have been there for a while, and you can learn from them what really works in your area.
Also, if you’re in the US, check with your local Ag Extension office. They may have resources or info to help you get started. Possibly even classes.
pishadoot@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
Thank you so much!
I hadn’t really considered how much of the knowledge is local. That makes sense though, in a duh why didn’t I already think of that kind of way.
I’m not ready to get started yet but I like reading about potential future hobbies or things I just find generally interesting, such as bee keeping, so the general knowledge will be fine for now.