Thank you for the great article Mindy. Perfect!
RE: The top bar hive or for that matter any other LOCAL info. on bees & beekeeping in your area you can call your county Ag. Ext. Agent. they will either know or be able to put you in contact with someone from the county or state who does. In Fl. we have State Bee Inspectors who inspect commercial hive operations for diseases etc... They are quite knowlegeable & I have found them to be more than willing to talk to & help any budding backyard beekeepers. I might add that you can also buy hives which are already operational. Local commercial to semi commercial beekeepers will generally sell a hive or two or 3 if you ask them. Bee people are usually a friendly lot. The state bee inspector will also go & inspect the hive(s) you are planning on buying to make sure there is no disease present in them at the time of your purchase.
I would urge all those who are intimidated by the prospect of having a hive or two to NOT to be intimidated! Keeping bees is far easier than keeping pets!
Mindy, I look forward to your next article this month!
