# introduction from Gresham, OR



## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Hello All,

After some time of reading posts from this site I decided to register as a regular member. Looks like it's a place for wealth of information. A friend of mine told me ask 5 different beekeepers a question and you will get 5 different answers.
I got into beekeeping a few years ago kinda on a whim. I have wanted to do it since I was a kid but had no idea where to get started. My 12 year old daughter expressed interest and wanted to do 1 hive for a science fair project. So I found a local place that sold supplies and offered classes, after that I was hooked! Since then I joined our state's beekeeping association, and started in a master beekeeper program. I currently have 2 hives and if they make it through this winder I want to split them into 4. We harvested honey last summer for the first time and it was like no honey we have ever tasted! As a result we went through it pretty fast!
Anyways part of my joining here is to see about the possibility of turning this hobby/passion into a sideline business. I have access to 11 acres that I could put more hives in, and my regular job is a middle school teacher so I have some time off in the summer. I would love to manage 50-100 hives and somehow rent them out to pollinate local growers fields. Having just a pickup and a small trailer a small operation might be manageable? Who knows.....

When I'm not dreaming about bees I love to fish our local rivers, dig clams or crab at the beach, work my garden, and hit music venues around our town. Despite the many months of rain here I love living where I do!


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to Beesource!





Eric Walls said:


> A friend of mine told me ask 5 different beekeepers a question and you will get 5 different answers.


Beesource members strive to excel!  Here you will get 6 different answers from 5 beekeepers. :lookout:


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome Eric!


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## mtndewluvr (Oct 28, 2012)

Welcome Eric - Beekeeping is a blast! I wish you luck there in Gresham. Former Troutdale resident myself...lived just down the street from Reynolds HS about 10 yrs ago. Enjoy!


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Thank you, I'm finding it to be very facinating. I know that area, my wife works for the Fairview Police department......that whole area has changeed. I grew up in Rockwood and then in Pleasant Valley/ Gresham.


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

Welcome to the site!


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## BGhoney (Sep 26, 2007)

Welcome to the site. Lots of good info here. I'm a half hour north of you.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

Welcome, Eric.
I imagine Gresham's a nice place to keep bees.
There's hardly anywhere in town that you're not within range of diverse forage...and what is called a drought there is what many experience in a wet spring!


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Cool, I spent all weekend just looking at all the different forums, I'm on information overload! So how are your bees doing? I only have 2 hives but both look good so far, and I'm hoping to do a split so I can get 4. We still have this month and March to get though though. Last year it was snowing a my house the last week in March.


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Ya, I have a green space behind my house and I think there is some forage there as well as all the neighborhood gardens. I was thinking of throwing a few handfuls of clover seed out there.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I visit the Gresham farmers market and Library every Saturday, (its our outing). Zienger has a bee meeting this Tuesday on foster and Portland Metro has a big one down at CCC in Clackamas on the second Thursday of the month. They have a handful of commercial guys there each month. I am down on HWY 212 just east of Damascus.


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

We go to the Farmer's market and library a lot too. Can't wait for the summer when we can do that. I'm right off Regner and 222nd, not too far from you. How many hives do you have and how are they doing? I'm getting tired of this cold, foggy, rainy stuff. I may go and put on some baker's sugar on my hives if the weather gets better. Supposed to be sunny and high 50's this Friday. I just want to keep them going until it warms up, don't want them to starve now.
I joined the group that meets at CCC, very nice people. I'm also in the master beekeepers program. Just had a class at Zenger Farms last Saturday.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I used to live off of 2nd and Elliot in Gresham. I have 5 hives, (one is struggling bad), and down to 2/4 OW nucs. One of the nucs may have drifted to the other side of the double deep. I had gave some to the in-laws in forest grove a couple of years ago, but I no longer claim them as mine.
I don’t think I will make the bee meeting on valentine’s day (less likely with the agenda coming out as TBD). Are you going to go? Maybe I will let you drive (you will probably go directly past my house, my property is on the HWY.


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

I forgot Thursday was Valentine's Day.........my daughter also has a basketball game but sine it's an early game I may go depending if my wife has plans for us to have dinner. Ya, you could probably ride with me sometime sine it's on the way out there.
That's too bad one of your hives is having a rough time. My two look okay, but I'll probably put on some baker's sugar, maybe mix it with just a hint of pollen. It's no guarentee against starvation but it makes me feel a little better. Last year both hives died out by this time.


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Forgot valentines day! Wow you must be one tough dude, in my case it is also my wedding anniversary. 
Now is when I start to lose hives, they start rearing brood and we get a cold snap or snow and starve out quick.
I went to the Zienger group yesterday, It was not my cup of tea. Maybe 10 people, 3 with experience and it seemed to me like a bunch of preaching and finger pointing to the new guys.


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## Eric Walls (Feb 8, 2013)

Well I had some cupcakes on order and I made dinner so all is good. Ended up not going to the meeting, I usually get an email a few days before with the list of topics but nobody sent anything out this time.
I hear that this is actually the time when colonies die. Tomorrow I'm going to pour a little bakers sugar on some newspaper, under the inside over. It may or may not help but at least it will make me feel better. I'm sort of holding my great because I don't know if I should order a package or wait and see if thy make it so I can do a split.


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