2019 has come and gone
Hello readers,
2019 has flown by and I have the feeling I did not report as aptly as I could've done.
I could come up with loads of excuses, but the fact remains, I did not make this blog a priority, nor did I keep up with posting video's on YouTube. Both take a great deal of time and I didn't do them.
What I did do, beekeeping related I'll tell you on this page, but first I must make a sad announcement.
As you can read and see on my other page: 'who am I as a beekeeper? The beginning; 2018' I had a dog, Ize, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. He made it through the entire year of 2019 but started having health problems and as of 08/01/2020 he is no more. I shall miss him.
Death is a part of life and as beekeepers we know that all too well.
You may (or may not) recall that I sent 5 hives into winter in 2018. Only 3 made it through that winter. My goal for 2019 was to end up with 10 to 15 hives. At one point I had 20 hives, 9 of them were in mating nucs, and of those I only have 2 left. So I sent 13 hives into inter in 2019, one of the 6-framers (the mating nucs I was on before) is surely dead already, and I have my doubts about two other hives (and it's only januari 2020) so we'll have to see what's what in spring.
For 2020 I want to increase the number of hives I have to 20. 3 big (or old) hives per apiary and 2 splits. I also entered in a rewilding program (organised by Zwartebij.org) to introduce the AMM back into nature, to that end I have to provide bees in one full hive (I hope it's going to be the mini-plus) and provide 3 more boxes in 2021. But that's looking forward, and this page is meant to look backwards.
I have also pointed out that I'd follow 2 courses to deepen my knowledge about bees. I have (successfully) ended those courses and even a third one about 'teaching in natural beekeeping'. After that teaching class I was approached to join the teacher corps of https://www.landwijzer.be/ and I gladly accepted that opportunity. Alas for me the budget for 2020 was severely cut back so it's not looking good to actually take up that position, although I'm keen on continuing to stay in contact with them.
I did take up another teaching position of sorts, in a Freinet school: https://freinetwaregem.be/ I have two classes grades 3 and 4 (ages 8-10) I see once a month (so I teach every two weeks). I'm known there as 'the bee man'. Long story short, I have 10 classes with each group of students and I guide them in making a bee-stand, creating bee-hives, creating a local flora-map and some actual beekeeping. I did not try to influence them with too much knowledge and asked them to draw up some beehives. This was a lot of fun, but in the end each class could only make one hive and both chose a Warré-style hive! (To be set up in 2020).
In 2019 I had bees (and still have) in four locations (one location is not the same anymore though). In 2020 I know of at least 3 new places I can put hives up, the freinet school not included!
What else? Oh, I forgot to mention here, but it must be in my blogposts somewhere. I am now a beekeeper by (2nd) profession. I have yet to figure out how to make an actual living out of it, as my accountant alone already ate up what I'm making through my teaching position. Maybe it's time to sell some honey, (or harvest it first) or even some bees (if I get above my 20 hives)I was also a guest in Czech Republic city Pardubice and wrote an article for the federal beekeeping club KonVIB. A club that was supposed to join or help unite all other clubs in Belgium, but is now, as far as I know, the only one that didn't join the new overaching club: https://vlaamsbijeninstituut.be/
We'll see what this brings for 2020 as I believe both clubs have something to offer I'll remain member of both. That being said, I'm not sure I'll renew all my memberships I have running now for 2020 in 2021... So coming year will be one of testing the waters of all clubs I'm a member of.
That was 2019... See you with a new page in 2020, and make sure to check back on occasion to see if I've been writing a blogpost!
Bob Out!
