1st Honey Harvest

[Queequeg]

This is 'Year III' for us.
We spent the entire first year tending to other hives. Last year we had our own first hive, but it was a rather weak colony (low population) and what little honey they produced we saved for them to sustain them through the long Michigan winter. And still, we had to feed them from late February until May when their honey ran out.
Over this past weekend we spun out approximately 3.5 gallons, which was quite a bit of work but very gratifying. In two weeks, we can probably pull off another 3 gallons or so.
We don't really do this for the honey, since we will give most of it away, not selling it. Nevertheless, it completes the cycle of raising them, caring for them, over-wintering them and finally a harvest.
I had no idea their lives were so complex. Honeybees act as a single "superorganism". They use intricate dances to communicate, and they have a division of labor according to age, although they only live 35-45 days. Honeybees have five eyes and see ultraviolet colors, and support a huge part of our global food supply through pollination.

[B0WIE]

Thx for sharing. My wife has been wanting to start a hive for years. Trouble is, we already have neighbors we don't get along with and, though we have a good sized yard, we're still in the suburbs so we're fairly close to other houses. How much space do you realistically need between a hive and a home?