Becky, Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you're doing all the right things to get started, research, and going to a local club meeting. A word of warning, beekeeping is addictive. You'll find youself reading all the books you can get your hands on, subscribing to Bee Culture and American Bee Journal, spending time on these forums,and talking about bees every chance you get. It will be hard to be satisfied with one hive or two hives and you'll find yourself daydreaming about checking frames,brood patterns, putting supers on and getting that nice extractor you saw in the catalog! keep us posted. Tony

Hi Becky,
I got my first hive only a month ago, and a little taste of my first honey from it a couple of weeks later. I don't think I'm addicted yet, but I'm curious, observant, happy, and feeling like I'm doing a little bit to make the world a better place.

Your own reasons will emerge, and I wish you well.
Marie

Becky, there's an organic beekeeping yahoo group. There's also one for Florida beekeepers Email me off line and ask me for both and I'll give you the details.

Organic or not, it's fun to keep bees, a bit difficult to manage them successfully and have them surivive year after year. Add to that this news, that Florida has a fair number of Africanized bees, so you'll need to stay vigilant.

But you'll get lots of encouragment, here, and at local meetings, I am sure.

thanks for the warm welcome guys.
I assume its for me, though my name is Erika not Becky ;)

Unfortunately I missed this month's beekeepers meeting due to a lovely case of vertigo I got on Thu (note the sarcasm) and that I am still dealing with.

Tony, thanks for mentioning those magazines, I didn't even know they existed.
I got introduced to bee keeping about 10 years ago- when I was in high school I volunteered at the local science museum and they have a huge hive- I was in charge of straining the honey from the combs. I don't think I've ever been so sticky in my life.

are there any great books you guys would recommend??

As far as Florida bees- well they are pretty much non existent. We used to have some beautiful bumble bees that came to visit our gardens- haven't seen them since last summer.
Erika

Erika, Where did I get Becky? Well Erika, When I got started the first book I read and re-read was "Beekeeping A Practical Guide" by Richard Bonney. It has most all of the information you need to get started. His second book "Hive Management A Seasonal Guide" is also a great one. I still reference those two quite often. I've heard "beekeeping for Dummies" is very good although I haven't read that one. Kim Flottum has "Backyard Beekeeping" in which he promotes using 8 frame hives. You might want to read an old standby "First Lessons in Beekeeping" The title is self explanatory. See what's available at your local library. As far as the 2 magazines I mentioned, Bee Culture seems to be more hobbiest geared. Both magazines offer a discount if you join a beekeeping club. The club secretary should have the discount form that you fill out and send in. As far as used books, I've had better luck at biblio.com and abebooks.com than ebay. I've seen people bid more for a beekeeping book than you can buy it for new and that's for recent copies of books still in print, not rare books. Most places like Betterbee.com and Brushy Mountain have a decent selection of new books. Tony