I raised bees in the 1980s in the Midwest.  I found it to be an interesting and rewarding hobby.  Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn’t have time for bees after only a few years.  Once I retired here in Whatcom County, however, I decided to get back into bee keeping.  I found out quickly that beekeeping had changed substantially in the last 30 years due to the Varroa mite.  I also learned that the unique climate in the PNW created an additional layer of complexity to successful bee keeping.

There was plenty of bee keeping information in print and on line, but what ultimately worked for me was finding Michael and having him become my “bee mentor”.  I spent a couple hours every week in the summer with Michael “hands on” in either my hive or one of his.  It made the reading come alive!  Seeing first hand (and actually doing) swarm prevention, queen marking, frame manipulation, Varroa evaluation and treatment, prepping for winter, and the hundred other aspects of bee keeping worked far better for me than any reading or class room time could.

Michael was not only my “safety net” to prevent me from doing something terminally stupid, but was also a patient and thorough instructor in the fine art of raising healthy and productive bees in our unique micro climate.  Michael’s system works.  I highly recommend Michael if you are a new beekeeper, a bee keeper with a problem or question, or even someone considering keeping bees.  You’ll get the right help from an experienced, successful bee keeper who is a pleasure to work with.