When I was a kid I used to go out to the empty lot behind our house and dig up anthills and see if I could find the queen ant. I would also catch bees with an upside-down jam-jar, and observe them on the kitchen table until my mother made me set them free outside. Even then I found them fascinating.
Ruth Askren
In 2009 I decided to try beekeeping as a hobby. My dad was intrigued and wanted in on the project. We joined in with the closest bee club I could find. They were a bunch of enthusiasts who would go out on the weekends in spring and summer, catching swarms and doing simple hive removals together. This group no longer exists although there is a legacy website (www.backwardsbeekeepers.com)
I accumulated a lot of experience, equipment and bees, and soon my first company, Bee Capture, was born. Removing and relocating unwanted honeybees became a full time job. Occasionally the owners wanted to keep their bees, and asked me to place them in boxes and maintain them on their property. Soon I was caring for a handful of hives for other people on a regular basis.
Some of those people wanted to learn to do the beekeeping for themselves. Teaching and mentoring others in the craft of beekeeping became an important part of my mission and remains so for The Hive Tribe to this day.
To find out more about keeping bees at your place, fill in the form and we will get back to you asap!
phoebe@thehivetribe.com
Or you can call 805-573-6366 to set up a consultation.