I still like the idea of natural beekeeping with a Warre' hive. The absence of work is certainly an appealing aspect. However, the fact is that North Carolina laws discourage use of Warre'. If we intended to be just a hobby beekeeper, then the Warre' is no problem. However, I don't like giving up flexibility because of the North Carolina beekeeping laws. Who knows, maybe in the future we might want to explore the commercial aspects? If there is any real interest, maybe it would be a good livelihood for Jackson? There could be tax advantages for our family.
Besides, if we were to go into a commercial venture with bees, we are well-positioned. We intend to raise natural, small-cell bees mixed with ferel stock. Ferel bees are thougth to be survivors. They are the colonies that survived mites, beetles, and bears. By natural selection, they fight attacks on the hives more effectively. Small cell bees, likewise, because of their small stature, are possibly more resistent to parasites. Combined, the two genetic lines of bees should be strong. Tryon bees could be marketable.
From a small business standpoint, an investor who has a feel for the movements in the country has an advantage. I believe there is now a small but growing movement in America in the direction of sustainable, small-scale practices in agriculture, and also toward a more naturally-focused health care system. Bees will be a part of both of those related movements. There is going to be a market for bees to natural beekeepers. There is a growing market for the healthy, chemical-free byproducts produced by bees.
The North Carolina State law prohibits sale of bees without state certification. You cannot get the certification unless the hives are inspected. The policy is to insure that North Carolina bee vendors are not selling diseased bees and spreading stuff like American foul brood. Therefore, to go into the bee selling business you need state certification following an apiary inspection.
Completing inspection of brood cells in aWarre' hive could not be done unless you tore apart the hive. The standard Warre' hives are designed to stay connected except to add more space or harvest. You cannot easily pull out brood frames for inspection with a standard Warre' hive. Consequently, if we just have Warre' hives we will be unable to obtain state certification.
Therefore, we are buying one Langstroth hive. Langstroth is the standard hive with the removable frames.
There are still a lot of options within the Langstroth hive choices. Primarily, so the hive is esI am choosing the 8-frame medium boxes. These are lighter than the ten frame varieties. Medium boxes are smaller than the deep boxes.
I also will start these hives with foundationless frames. I could use plastic frames, but I am not sure I want plastic in my hive because of our aim for natural beekeeping.
I could use wax comb foundations, but the wax could come from hives where bees were chemically treated. This introduces chemicals into my hives through the wax. I am using wax starter strips. This wax may have been chemically treated, but most of the comb will be drawn out by the bees. I figure the chemical threat is minimal. Over time, as our natural wax comb is incorporated, the chemical inputs will diminish further.
My bee jacket, veil, hive tool, and smoker arrived by package yesterday. I ordered the unassembled, Langstroth hive shown above today from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.
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