# Hello from Maryland!



## Glory Downs Farm (Dec 16, 2011)

Hi Everyone!

This is my first chat forum I've joined! My husband and I are small time farmers with 9 acres of land in an Agriculture Reserve. Beekeeping has always been a dream of mine and this was the first year I got to do it! While I don't like calling it "keeping," and prefer to call it "charming," I have proved to be not-so-charming to the bee's I had three swarms, a new queen, a failed split, a honey shortage, tropical storm, mites, small hive beetles, wax moths, ants, hive robbery and mold hit my two hives! It was a long first year of learning but my bee's are still thriving! I have always enjoyed learning from forums such as this, and look forward to learning more from fellow "charmers."  Please visit my blog to see all the fun we have! http://glorydownsfarm.blogspot.com/


----------



## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

Bee charmer, glad to have you on the Forum, welcome. I am hoping your next year of bee charming will be less eventful, all my best to you.....Bill


----------



## Glory Downs Farm (Dec 16, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome Bill!


----------



## bk21701 (May 22, 2009)

We're just down the road in Frederick. Welcome


----------



## Glory Downs Farm (Dec 16, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome Frederick! How did your bee's do this past September with all the rain? My bee's (even though being fed-) consumed most of their honey! How many hives do you have?


----------



## Beeman410 (Mar 21, 2011)

Welcome to the forums!
It sounds like you had an interesting first season 
Im on the lower eastern shore... it was a little crazy here too..
To much rain in the spring... Then drought.... And now it's Dec and almost 70 degrees..
It's just a mess lol


----------



## Don'tWorryBeeHappy (May 13, 2011)

How do from up the road in Woodbine. Glad to hear there's some acreage left in Gaithersburg that isn't a "town house farm".


----------



## Glory Downs Farm (Dec 16, 2011)

trial by fire right? lol What do the bee's harvest on particularly at the eastern shore? We were just there a couple weeks ago (Cambridge area) and were wondering just that. Love the area~!


----------



## Glory Downs Farm (Dec 16, 2011)

Haha! We were glad to hear that too We are on Ag reserve so no town house farms popping up anytime soon!


----------



## daddydon5 (Mar 21, 2011)

I am in Bethesda and also welcome you. I had a great first season as a beekeeper and am curious to see how my bees make it through the winter. I have two hives on 1/6 of an acre and had no problems with neighbors etc my first year. I am reasonably confident that one of my hives will survive the winter, but have my doubts about my second. I found the first year experience fascinating and look forward to many years of caring for these wonderful creatures. This forum is a great resource and if you are not already a member, the Montgomery County Beekeeper's Association is also a great group of people who are always responsive to new beekeeper questions.


----------



## Beeman410 (Mar 21, 2011)

Well I'm surrounded by farm land and woods/swamp....
It's hard to tell what the source of the honey crop is sometimes.
Especially in the spring when everything is in bloom... 
And I can't id the plants their foraging by what the pollen looks like..
In late summer the honey has a floral hint to it so I'm thinking wild flowers...
I'm working to secure a space for a few hives on a nearby blueberry patch so that should make for some heavy lifting in the spring


----------



## ldh1006 (Nov 12, 2011)

welcome from up north...u picked a very unusal year 2 get into bee charming...charming , i like that....c u in the chat room...take care and good luck..


----------



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome GDF! Sorry for the delayed welcome. i just flew in from teaching queen rearing and general beekeeping in Jamaica.


----------



## Beeman410 (Mar 21, 2011)

Thats pretty cool AB!
I'm planning to give queen breeding a go for the first time this year...
Should be interesting..


----------



## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Welcome to the site!


----------



## Beeophyte (Oct 17, 2011)

Welcome, you've come to the right place!


----------



## Baldursson (Nov 22, 2011)

Another welcome to the forum. I am inpressed that YOU survived your first year as a Beek (Beec) I am even more nervous now. I will be getting my first hives (2) going next spring. I bet you learned a lot this past year


----------

