A brief Story of the 3 B’s and the Bees
By Guest Author Bryan Esquivel
My name is Bryan. I am one of the 3 B’s. The three B’s are as follows: Bryan, Brian, and then there’s the other Bryan. I tell you that so you don’t get us confused. We are all beekeepers. If you were to tell any one of us a few years ago that we would be beekeepers, we all would have told you that you were stone cold crazy! Yet here we all are keeping honeybees…..and loving it!!! So…what happened?
We all have the strong desire to want to provide for our families, and prepare for whatever may lie ahead. No, we don’t have spare time gracing us at every turn. We all have our families with several young children. However, we all have a desire to be a part of helping something bigger than just our families. Enter the Honeybees. I came across a news article years ago explaining the importance of honeybees in our society. The more I read about the honeybees, the more I found I was feeding an appetite that I never knew I had. The more I read the more I wanted to know.
What I found was absolutely astounding. I can’t think of another insect that has had such a profound affect on civilization than the Honeybee. Honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, royal jelly, all products of the beehive, has played an important role in the health, and well being of mankind for ages. That does not even take into consideration the pollination work that the honeybee does. The honeybee was brought across the ocean to the Americas by the settlers (known as the white man’s fly to the Indians) to ensure the success of the crops they planted. I’m not even beginning to scratch the surface here.
So…why honeybees? The bottom line is that they need our help….. and, we need theirs. About 1/3 of our food supply is dependent on the honeybee for pollination. Disease, pests, and development have virtually eliminated the feral honeybee populations. It turns out that a fruit fly has five times the capability of fighting off disease than the honeybee. It is becoming more and more important to have managed honeybee colonies.
We live in a time when “going green” is in. Honeybees definitely play an important role in keeping the planet green. We, along with all kinds of plants and animals need this important species buzzing around. From the liquid gold of the sweet honey (which does not spoil if stored in a sealed container and will help relieve allergy symptoms!!!) , the increase of the yield in my home garden and fruit trees, to the lip balm made from the beeswax collected from the hive, my family has been blessed by having this truly remarkable species around.
So, if you are contemplating getting involved in this remarkable journey, it is time to jump in.
If you are thinking of getting started in keeping bees, you will need to get started on it soon. The bees will be arriving about mid April. You need to pre-order them right away. They always are sold out right after they come in!
For all kinds of helpful information you can visit the Utah County Beekeepers Association web site, or attend an association meeting: www.utahcountybeekeepers.org
Bee Hive Plans
Top bar hive Plans: BackYard Hive.com
Langstroth Hive Plans: BeeSource.com
To purchase hives/frames and bee keeping products:
Jones Bee
Mann Lake Ltd.
DadAnt
Brush Mountain Bee Farm
Utah County Bee Keepers –go to the classifieds section.
To purchase bees packages:
If you are interested in getting started in Bee Keeping, there is the Bee Keeping Class in Orem on March 20th. If you would like to learn more now though or would like to avoid the class fee, I will be conducting an informal class at my house in Mapleton this Friday, March 13th at 7 PM.
We will be going over much of the same information from that class. In addition, we will be putting together a group order for bees and the recommended equipment you need to get started in Bee Keeping.
If you are interested in attending this informal class, please RSVP to Bryan Esquivel by e-mailing maplemountainbees AT q.com
So, I’m wondering what zoning ordinances have to say about beekeeping. I live in a residential area in Spanish Fork. Would beekeeping be allowed in a place like this or do you need a ton of land to be able to get into it?
So, I’m wondering what zoning ordinances have to say about beekeeping. I live in a residential area in Spanish Fork. Would beekeeping be allowed in a place like this or do you need a ton of land to be able to get into it?
Daren – I’ve seen hives on people’s driveways in Salt Lake. I don’t know the law, but in general if you just talk to your neighbors about it I’d image you’d be OK. I’m planning on putting a couple hive on my property this year, and I’m in the heart of Bountiful.
Daren – I’ve seen hives on people’s driveways in Salt Lake. I don’t know the law, but in general if you just talk to your neighbors about it I’d image you’d be OK. I’m planning on putting a couple hive on my property this year, and I’m in the heart of Bountiful.
I don’t know the specifics for your area, but in my experience, as long as you are up front with your neighbors you should be fine. If you are worried about zoning, you can check with your local city offices.
You are next door to Mapleton, are you considering going to the free bee class there this Friday? If so, be sure to RSVP so Bryan knows how many people to expect. If you can’t make it there is the class in Orem later this month, but that one is $20.
I am most looking forward to getting a list of good equipment for getting started. With all the different sizes of boxes, different frames, etc. I am not quite sure where to start. Also, having several people order all their equipment together should help save a few dollars.
I don’t know the specifics for your area, but in my experience, as long as you are up front with your neighbors you should be fine. If you are worried about zoning, you can check with your local city offices.
You are next door to Mapleton, are you considering going to the free bee class there this Friday? If so, be sure to RSVP so Bryan knows how many people to expect. If you can’t make it there is the class in Orem later this month, but that one is $20.
I am most looking forward to getting a list of good equipment for getting started. With all the different sizes of boxes, different frames, etc. I am not quite sure where to start. Also, having several people order all their equipment together should help save a few dollars.
I would also suggest contacting your local ciy offices to see if there are any ordinances that pertain to beekeeping. If there are not, then they typically could fall under a “nuisance” catagory. This is where contacting your neighbors is cruical. Informed neighbors will not view your honeybees as a nuisance. A little honey during harvest time goes a long way with keeping the neighbors happy. Have a “Plan B” in the event that someone complains and you have to move your hive. Having fresh water for your bees will keep the bees away from the neighbors leaky hose bibs. Other ideas on Friday.
Development is detroying the habitat for the honeybee as well as other native pollinators. It is important to keep honeybees in urban areas. Check out Chicago’s City Hall. They have a green roof where 2 hives of honeybees are kept. The mayor of Chicago understands the importance of the honeybee.
I would also suggest contacting your local ciy offices to see if there are any ordinances that pertain to beekeeping. If there are not, then they typically could fall under a “nuisance” catagory. This is where contacting your neighbors is cruical. Informed neighbors will not view your honeybees as a nuisance. A little honey during harvest time goes a long way with keeping the neighbors happy. Have a “Plan B” in the event that someone complains and you have to move your hive. Having fresh water for your bees will keep the bees away from the neighbors leaky hose bibs. Other ideas on Friday.
Development is detroying the habitat for the honeybee as well as other native pollinators. It is important to keep honeybees in urban areas. Check out Chicago’s City Hall. They have a green roof where 2 hives of honeybees are kept. The mayor of Chicago understands the importance of the honeybee.
Daren,
I just got off the phone with Spanish Fork City planning. They told me that they have nothing that in the city ordinances that pertain to beekeeping, and that it would be fine to keep a hive of honeybees in your yard.
Hip! Hip!…..
Daren,
I just got off the phone with Spanish Fork City planning. They told me that they have nothing that in the city ordinances that pertain to beekeeping, and that it would be fine to keep a hive of honeybees in your yard.
Hip! Hip!…..
Hello Bryan…don't know if your still maintaining this website…if you are…i am interested in seeing your top bar hives sometime if you still do an informal class like you did last spring….could you please let me know?
I am also interested in learning about top bar hives. If you hear of a class offering I would love to know about it.
Hansen Hives & Honey Co. teaches beekeeping classes in SLC, as well as pollinator workshops.