Kathy Coleman and her father, Dan Brooks, can analyze an email, photograph or text message to provide feedback to beginner beekeepers.
The pair has been working with bees since 1983 but actually started the business of selling bees, hives and equipment, along with creating educational programs, about a decade ago at Eclectic Bee Farm.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(@C<:?8 H:E9 @E96C 366 4=F3D 2?5 2DD:DE:?8 H:E9 368:??6C 366<66A6CD :D :?E68C2= E@ H92E H6 5@ 96C6[” D2:5 r@=6>2?] “&D:?8 5:8:E2= E649?@=@8J[ H6 42? =@@< 2E :>286D E92E 366<66A6CD D6?5 FD 2?5 96=A :56?E:7J 2?J AC@3=6>D E96J >2J 36 92G:?8] %9:D 96=AD FD :?DECF4E E96> @? H92E E@ 5@]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp=@?8 H:E9 E96 96=A 7C@> D@>6 @E96C 72>:=J >6>36CD[ r@=6>2? 2?5 96C 72E96C E6?5 E@ `__ E@ `d_ 9:G6D] t249 9:G6 2E 7F== 42A24:EJ 9@=5D 23@FE e_[___ 366D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96C6 2C6 D@>6 5:776C6?E 86?6E:4D H6’G6 3C@F89E :?[ H9:49 2C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ :?E6C>:?8=6 H:E9 E96 @E96CD[” D2:5 s2?]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%9:D :D 9@H t4=64E:4 q66 u2C> H@C<D E@ <66A 5:G6CD:EJ :? E96:C 366 86?6E:4D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm!6CD@?2= 366<66A:?8 EFC?65 :?E@ 3FD:?6DD 7@C E96 r@=6>2?D 2?5 qC@@<D H96? =@42=D 925 “366 6>6C86?4:6D” 2?5 2D<65 E@ 3@CC@H @C 3FJ E96:C 366<66A:?8 6BF:A>6?E] tG6?EF2==J[ E96J H@F=5 ;FDE 3FJ >@C6 2?5 3682? E@ DE@4< E96 ?646DD:E:6D 7@C 3@E9 E96:C 72C> 2?5 @E96CD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpD:56 7C@> E96 3FD:?6DD 2DA64E @7 366<66A:?8[ r@=6>2? D2:5[ 65F42E:@?2= AC@8C2>D 2C6 2 9:89 AC:@C:EJ 7@C E96>] %96J @7E6? DA62< 2E D49@@=D[ 4@==686D[ 4:G:4 4=F3D 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D 23@FE E96 AC@46DD @7 366<66A:?8 2?5 H92E :E E2<6D E@ 9@DE 324<J2C5 3669:G6D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96 2G6C286 286 @7 366<66A6CD :D 9:89 C:89E ?@H[ D@ H6 H2?E E@ 6?4@FC286 E96 J@F?86C 86?6C2E:@? E@ 86E :?G@=G65 H:E9 366<66A:?8[” D2:5 r@=6>2?] “(6’C6 2== 23@FE 96=A:?8 366<66A6CD :? 86?6C2=]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmxE’D C64@>>6?565 7@C D@>6@?6 DE2CE:?8 @FE E@ @3E2:? 2E =62DE EH@ 9:G6D] x7 E96C6 :D @?=J @?6 9:G6[ 2 368:??6C >:89E ?@E <?@H :7 :E’D DF44665:?8 H:E9@FE 2?JE9:?8 H:E9 H9:49 E@ 4@>A2C6 :E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“q66<66A:?8 E2<6D H@C<[ 2?5 J@F ?665 A6@A=6 E@ DFAA@CE J@F[” D2:5 r@=6>2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpE E96 72C>[ E96J D6== ?F4=6FD 9:G6D] %96D6 2C6 D>2== 9:G6D E92E 8C@H FA E@ 7:G6 7C2>6D] ~?46 E92E :D 249:6G65[ :E’D C625J E@ 8@ E@ 2 7@C6G6C 9@>6[ D96 D2:5] x7 :E 86ED E@@ 4C@H565 E96C6 :D E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E E96 366D H:== DH2C> @FE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(@C<6C 366D =:G6 23@FE 7@FC E@ D:I H66<D 5FC:?8 E96 DAC:?8 2?5 DF>>6C] sFC:?8 H:?E6C >@?E9D[ E96J =:G6 23@FE E9C66 @C 7@FC >@?E9D[” D2:5 r@=6>2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 BF66?D =:G6 =@?86C 2?5 42? 36 :56?E:7:65 3J E96:C =2C86C D:K6D] %@ >2<6 :E 62D:6C E@ DA@E E96 BF66?[ 366<66A6CD H:== A2:?E 2 >2C< @? 96C]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“xE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 4964< E96 BF66? H96? :?DA64E:?8 E96 9:G6D] xD E96C6 6?@F89 7@@5n t?@F89 DA246n pC6 E96C6 2?J 5:D62D6D 2?5 A6DEDn (6 @776C 2 9:G6 :?DA64E:@? D966E @? @FC H63D:E6 7@C 366<66A6CD E@ FD6[” D2:5 r@=6>2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmxE’D C64@>>6?565 7@C 2G6C286 324<J2C5 366<66A6CD E@ 6?E6C E96:C 9:G6D 2E =62DE 6G6CJ EH@ H66<D] ~E96C E:AD :?4=F56 ?@E DE2?5:?8 :? E96 7=:89E A2E9 @7 E96 366D H96? AF==:?8 @FE 7C2>6D E@ 2G@:5 36:?8 DEF?8[ 2?5 DAC2J:?8 DF82C\H2E6C E@ 42=> E96> 5@H?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~E96C :E6>D @? E96 :?DA64E:@? =:DE :?4=F56 E96 9:G6’D 4@?5:E:@?[ E6>A6C2>6?E[ A@AF=2E:@? 2?5 9@?6J 7=@H AC6A2C2E:@?] z66A:?8 =@8D @7 6249 :?DA64E:@? 4@F=5 96=A :56?E:7J A@E6?E:2= AC@3=6>D 2?5 AC@8C6DD]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“(96? AF==:?8 @FE 7C2>6D[ 2=H2JD AF== 7C@> E96 @FED:56 7:CDE] %96 BF66? :D =:<6=J D@>6H96C6 :? E96 >:55=6[ 2?5 :7 J@F AF== E92E 7C2>6 DEC2:89E FA[ J@F 4@F=5 9FCE 96C[” D2:5 s2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 366D E6?5 E@ 4C62E6 DE:4<J “8=F6” :? E96:C 9:G6D 42==65 AC@A@=:D 82E96C65 7C@> E96 8F>D 2?5 C6D:?D @7 EC66D[ D@ E96 =:5D 4@F=5 36 5:77:4F=E E@ C6>@G6]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq66D EC2G6= FA E@ d >:=6D 2H2J 7C@> E96:C 9:G6D E@ 4@==64E 7@@5[ H9:49 :D E96? 25565 4=@D6 E@ E96 6586D @7 E96 7C2>6D E@ 7665 E96 323J 366D[ D2:5 s2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 BF66? 366 4@F=5 36 2?J 76>2=6 366 2E E96 688 DE286 E92E :D 765 >@C6 C@J2= ;6==J[ H9:49 255D 9@C>@?6D 7@C 8C@HE9[ E92? E96 @E96CD[ D2:5 r@=6>2?] ~E96C 76>2=6 366D 5@ 2== @7 E96 H@C< :? E96 9:G6[ 7C@> 4=62?:?8[ 82E96C:?8 AC@A@=:D[ E2<:?8 42C6 @7 E96 BF66?[ C6>@G:?8 5625 366D[ 8F2C5:?8 E96 9:G6[ 6E4]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“%96 5C@?6D 2C6 E96 3@J 366D[ 2?5 E96J @?=J >2E6 H:E9 2 BF66? @?46j 2?5 E96?[ 5:6] ~E96CH:D6[ E96J ;FDE 62E FA E96 7@@5 3FE 5@?’E AC@5F46 2?JE9:?8 @C 4@?EC:3FE6[” D2:5 r@=6>2?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 9:G6D E6?5 E@ <:4< @FE 5C@?6D – FA E@ d__ A6C 4@=@?J – 2C@F?5 >:5\$6AE6>36C E@ AC6A2C6 7@C E96 H:?E6C >@?E9D] s2? D2:5 255:?8 2? F?@A6?65 328 @7 DF82C E@ E96 9:G6D 96=AD H:E9 6?DFC:?8 AC@A6C 7@@5[ 2D H6==] (:E9 E96:C >2?5:3=6D[ E96 366D H:== 36 23=6 E@ @A6? E96 328 2?5 ?@FC:D9 7C@> E96 DF82C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~? E96 t4=64E:4 q66 u2C> H63D:E6[ E96C6 2C6 C6D@FC46D 2G2:=23=6 E@ 2DD:DE H:E9 9:G6 >2:?E6?2?46[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 :?DA64E:@? D966E 2?5 :?DECF4E:@?D @? 9@H E@ 4C62E6 AC@5F4ED 7C@> H2I 2?5 9@?6J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmxE E2<6D 23@FE ec 366D’ 6?E:C6 =:76E:>6D E@ AC@5F46 ;FDE a @F?46D @7 9@?6J[ D2:5 r@=6>2?] pE t4=64E:4 q66 u2C>[ 9@?6J :D 6IEC24E65 @?46 2 J62C 7C@> E96 AC@5F4E:@? 9:G6D[ D96 D2:5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq66D 4C62E6 2 42A @G6C E96 9@?6J E92E ?665D E@ 36 4FE @77 367@C6 6IEC24E:@?] %96 7C2>6 E96? 8@6D :?E@ 2? 6IEC24E@C – 6:E96C >2?F2= @C 2FE@>2E65 – 2?5 D=:?8D E96 9@?6J @?E@ E96 6586D] %9:D E96? 5C:AD :?E@ 2 7:=E6C65 3F4<6E E@ 6G6?EF2==J 36 3@EE=65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm“{@42= C2H 9@?6J 4@?E2:?D ?2EFC2= 2?E:3:@E:4D 2?5 2?E:D6AE:4D[ 2?5 E9@D6 AC@A6CE:6D 42CCJ @G6C :?E@ >256 AC@5F4ED[” D2:5 s2?] “x7 J@F 6I2>:?6 C2H 9@?6J[ J@F 4@F=5 E6== 6I24E=J H92E C68:@? :E’D 7C@> 3J =@@<:?8 2E E96 EJA6 @7 A@==6? :E 4@?E2:?D]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$E@C6\3@F89E 9@?6J :D A2DE6FC:K65[ H9:49 <:==D E96D6 6?KJ>6D[ 3FE AC6G6?ED E96 9@?6J 7C@> 4CJDE2==:K:?8]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmt4=64E:4 q66 u2C> D6==D 3@EE=65 9@?6J :? 5:776C6?E D:K6D[ 2?5 2=D@ C6E2:=D :ED 92?5>256 AC@5F4ED – DF49 2D =@E:@?D[ D@2AD[ =:A 32=>D[ >FD4=6 CF3D 2?5 >@C6] %96 9@?6J :D 7@F?5 :? 2 76H =@42= DE@C6D[ 3FE E96 AC@5F4ED 42? @?=J 36 AFC492D65 2E E96 72C> @C @?=:?6]k^DA2?mk^Am
