Well I just heard back from the code enforcement officer and Old Town has no ordinance concerning bees. So the next step is to talk to do my homework, talk to my neighbors and with their acquiescence, next spring I will be a budding bee-keeper.
A single colony can produce as much as 80 pounds of honey a year, in addition to what the colony needs to over winter. That's a sizable amount of honey and there's bees wax to boot. The initial investment is on order of a couple of hundred dollars, but if you're a fan of honey (and I am) it can pay for itself rather quickly.
I was able to visit a bee keeper and his five colonies a few weeks ago. It was amazing. We wore the bee suits, but we didn't need them, though the hood brings with it a nice sense of security. The bees were very forgiving of our explorations and curiosity. As we approached the hives you could see some bees, but not there was nothing like a swarm or cloud. The bees are a busy lot and they're generally either inside or coming and going.
My plans are to locate the hive on my roof. My house has a on story addition and there is a perfect place to locate a hive where it will be sheltered by the two story part of the house but will receive morning and evening light. This way the bees can come and go well above our heads. Hives only need checking on every week or two, and given that the one story roof has a shallow slope, it will present no trouble to do so. Out of sight and out of mind these little guys will travel up to three miles to gather nectar. They'll contribute to local pollination and provide a connection between nature and our food.
I'm psyched. What are your thoughts?
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