# Northern Ontario Beekeeper Wanna Bee!



## mama3277 (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm from northern ontario and am anxious to start my new hobbie come spring. I have a lot to prepare for so I am trying to soak as much information up as possible. Most friends and family members think I am nuts for wanting a few hives but we will just see who will be lining up for the bees golden goodness! Lol


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Welcome!


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

That gives you lead time to visit some existing beekeepers and time to read up on some background information. Assuming (and that could be incorrect) that you are starting from square one, it takes a bit of getting up to speed to even know what questions to ask! If you can get to watch someone that is experienced handling the frames and boxes it is much less overwhelming the first time you have to do it solo. 

You may be condsidering Top Bar hives and that can be a different "ball of wax" than _Langs_. It sure helps if you can find a mentor. It will be an interesting time!


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

Welcome to the site!


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## Birds (Mar 28, 2011)

Hello from Northwestern Ontario. I am not about to give you any advise as I am just new to this venture. I did hover around several forums, listened to beekeeping podcasts when I walked my bush trails, and read some good books over last winter. There are no beekeepers within hundreds of kilometers from me that I could mentor with. So I studied everything I could including wildflowers because I am living in a remote location far from agriculture. This spring when I picked up my two nucs in Steinbach Manitoba, I felt fairly well prepared. The Internet has allowed me to learn as I go. My colonies are strong and have built foundationless through two deeps of brood and two supers now almost full of the most breathtaking wildflower honey. What is remarkable really is that they did so well as we are experiencing extreme drought this summer. I'm sure you have seen the fire situation on the news. So now I am studying hard to figure out what will work for overwintering my bees in this climate. It is hard to find information relating to my locale. Thunder Bay has a beekeeping community but they are a good seven hour drive south of Red Lake. If we can overwinter with any degree of success then I figure it is very viable to keep bees here. 
Oh, and I keep my hives inside an enclosure with my 24 laying hens. It's interesting to see the chickens scratching underneath and around the clouds of bees. They seem to live symbiotically. The chickens leave the fenced yard during the day and in the evening are safe behind 6 strands of 6000 volt fencing. With the bears wandering through my yard, it would be a waste of time trying to keep bees or poultry without it.
Good luck


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## dtompsett (Feb 2, 2010)

Where are you in Northern Ontario? Perhaps we can help you pinpoint a beekeeping club that could help you out.


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## Birds (Mar 28, 2011)

Northwestern Ontario. I am two hours north of the TransCanada at Vermillion Bay. About halfway between Dryden and Kenora you turn north off the highway and drive another two hours. It's seven hours to Thunder Bay and five to Winnipeg. Three hours to Kenora.


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## mama3277 (Aug 16, 2011)

QUOTE=dtompsett;701669]Where are you in Northern Ontario? Perhaps we can help you pinpoint a beekeeping club that could help you out.[/QUOTE]

Lol, I am in Espo, I am finding all this information encouraging and it seems as though most beekeepers are very supportive of others, just the sense of community that I expected. I have been in contact with a couple local keepers and tried to go and see their hives but timing just wasn't right as of yet. I plan to join the sud beekeepers association but haven't looked into that just yet. Ahhh my head is just swarming with tons of information and tasks I have to get going!


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## dtompsett (Feb 2, 2010)

*Birds* - I know where Red Lake is... Drove up there once a few years back to visit my grandmother... beautiful drive up. 

*Mama3277* - The Sudbury district beekeepers association has a meeting coming up in September... normally they are held at the Lo-Ellen Park highschool on Loaches road, but the September meeting is being held at Science North. I would suggest you look up the website (http://www.sudburybeekeepers.com/), call up the president, and find out some more details.


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## scdw43 (Aug 14, 2008)

Welcome to Beesource.

David


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## fbeefarm (Dec 11, 2017)

Mama if you are in Sudbury area we can help you get the info/bees and equipment you need we give classes in the spring and I always make myself available to people that deal with me to answer any questions they may have. We deliver to Sudbury and Timmins every year. bees/ equipment give classes at our location as well. You can look us up on our webpage and Facebook. we are in northern ontario and concentrate on the north /northeast.


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Welcome!


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