April 2018 was a time of great anticipation.  Doug and I ordered 2 nucs of bees to begin our beekeeping adventure.  The local supplier we used sold both Italian and Russian bees.  We carefully selected Italian bees, and by carefully selected I mean we asked the guy at the store known as The Bee Man, “What do you recommend for new beekeepers?”  He sighed, paused 2 seconds and said, “Go with the Italians.”  That conversation was back in February when we ordered our bees.  In late April, we received a call that our two nucs were ready for pickup.   Continue reading →