Apiarist Ed Weiss has been a beekeeper for more than 30 years. His book "The Queen and I" provides the novice beekeeper with valuable information. This handbook, now in its third printing, is a tale of passion and a love affair for the humblest of nature's creatures, the honeybee. It is the story of how Ed's interest in bees began and how those interested in beekeeping can raise their own bees in their backyard.
Originally a marketer of industrial equipment, Ed's interest in bees led him to a career move as a full-time beekeeper in 1974. Honey he collects and bottles himself is sold under the label Wilton Gold. Over the years, Ed has been instrumental in educating the public about the importance of bees. He is the founder of a nonprofit organization, the Back Yard Beekeepers Association. Located in Weston, Connecticut, the organization provides its members with a forum for sharing knowledge of beekeeping techniques and educates the public about the benefits of beekeeping.
Ed demonstrates the proper methods for creating a beehive and shares the tools necessary for beekeeping. Before adding the bees, he first removes the screens--on which the bees will build their honeycombs--from the bottom box. He sprays the bees with a sugar solution to give them enough food to enter the hive and places the queen bee in the beehive. He then releases the bees (approximately 11,000) into the new hive. He replaces the screens in the bottom body of the box; then, he adds a feeder containing a sugar syrup used to give the bees adequate nourishment when they are in the hive. Finally, he places the inner and outer covers back onto the hive, making sure that all pieces of the hive are secure.
Beekeeping is a rewarding backyard hobby. The presence of bees in a garden can have a dramatic difference in the production of fruits and flowers. Many communities have local organizations that focus on educating the public on the important role bees play in nature and the rewards of keeping and maintaining beehives on your property. Consult your local community services directory to locate resources in your area. The whole experience of keeping bees and harvesting honey helps not only the environment by the pollination of the trees, flowers and vegetables in a garden, but it also teaches you about one of the most fascinating of nature's creatures--the honeybee.
Special Thanks
Edward A. Weiss
Proprietor
E.A. Weiss and Company
Sources
Complete beginner's hive kit
(includes a bottom board, 2 hive bodies, 20 frames, 20 sheets wax foundation, support pins, inner and outer cover, smoke engine, head veil, a hardcover guidebook, feeder, hive tool), $199.95 per kit; reinforced cloth beekeeper's gloves, $10 a pair; and bees, $50 a package (contains about 11,000 bees and a mated queen)
E.A. Weiss and Company
3 Whipstick Road
Wilton, CT 06897
203-762-3538
More Information
American Beekeeping Federation
P.O. Box 1337
Jesup, GA 31598
912-427-4233
Email American Beekeeping Federation
Recommended Reading
Edward A. Weiss
"The Queen and I "
(E.A. Weiss and Company, 2001; $19.95)
E.A. Weiss and Company
3 Whipstick Road
Wilton, CT 06897
203-762-3538
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