Beekeeping has become a popular urban and rural hobby. Beekeeping can be a rewarding endeavor. When we moved to Eagle Mountain back in 2013, we started several hives. I was what I would call a Beehaver, because we have a hard time getting our hives to winter over. A beekeeper is someone who can keep a hive and has the ability to have it produce year after year. The trick is knowing how to protect the hive from Utah winters as well as how to not rob too much honey so that bees have enough stored up to survive the cold years. Then you just have to pray that there is not a long heat spell with another cold spell following it.
The Bee, too, yields us its delicious Honey, and its Wax useful to a multitude of Purposes.
Benjamin Fanklin – 11 June 1760
It has been a while since I have been a beekeeper, so I contacted a local beekeeper in Eagle Mountain to see how things are going with the hobby.
Eagle Mountain Resident Story
Eagle Mountain is home to a few Beekeepers. One of those Beekeepers lives along the power corridor in City Center. Gary Arnold has lived in Eagle Mountian with his wife and 3 young boys for the last 5 and a half years. If you have questions or just want to network with Gary, you can contact him via email.
I asked Gary a few questions about his beekeeping and the experience he has had with it.
What was the reason you go into beekeeping?
I got into beekeeping during the pandemic. I was in pursuit of a new hobby/interest and something that could add some additional meaning and value to my life. I’ve always been fascinated by bees, so I took it to the next level. Also, who doesn’t love honey?
How many hives have you kept?
I have two active hives. (A typical full-strength hive may have between 30k-70k bees at a time).
How many years have you been doing it?
Only about a year and a half.
What is the hardest part about keeping bees?
The hardest part is the unknown. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources both local and online to help guide you. You want your bees to thrive and knowing how to balance your involvement vs. letting nature do its thing can be tricky. Beekeeping isn’t a particularly time-intensive hobby. It’s only a few hours every other week during the summer. A little busier in the spring and fall and very little in the winter.
What are the rewards?
I’ve obviously become a bit of a bee nerd, so I’m definitely biased. But, learning the intricacies of the bees’ life, the operations of the hive, and them coming out and seeing it all in action is simply incredible. I love to go out and just watch them go in and out of the hive, to listen, and even smell the aroma of the hive. It’s all very comforting and inspiring to me. Oh and some honey is nice too.
Is there a trick you have found to have your hives winter over?
I only have one winter under my belt and one of my hives didn’t make it – mediocre track record. But I think the important factors are balancing insulation and warmth with ventilation and humidity control. The bees like it warm, and they know how to keep it that way even in the winter. But wrapping them too tightly can lead to other problems. Of course, the biggest challenge to all beekeepers in North America and one of the largest factors in successfully overwintering is mite control. The Varroa Mite is one of the principal reasons we’ve seen many articles talking about the disappearance of hives and bees. It is a pest that brings disease and all kinds of problems to a hive. At this stage, they are unavoidable, so ensuring that you do regular checks of your hives and treating them (there are a variety of methods and opinions), is essential.
What type of hive do you have?
Both of my hives are the standard Langstroth hive (patented in 1852) which most people are familiar with. They are the square, white boxes stacked on each other. They have ten frames per box.
Were you able to harvest any honey from your hives?
I did get some honey last year! They say that you shouldn’t expect honey in your first year, but I got about 2 gallons – which is actually a very small amount even for one hive :).
I want to thank Gary for being willing to share his experience with Cedar Valley Sentinel and the other residents of Eagle Mountain.
Hive Inspections
The Utah State University Extension program explains why inspections of hives can be important.
“The Utah Apiary Program (through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food) conducts apiary inspections to help beekeepers diagnose pest and disease issues in their hives. They also manage and maintain hive registrations for the state of Utah. The Apiary Program is here to help, not hinder beekeepers in their endeavors. As a responsible beekeeper, it is your responsibility to register your hives, and call your county bee inspector if you have concerns.”
“In 1892, beekeepers successfully lobbied the Utah territorial legislature to pass the first bee inspection act. The legislation was needed to reduce the spread of deadly foulbrood diseases, which had become rampant.
The lad allowed beekeepers to elect a honey bee inspector in every county. Later, registration was introduced to help bee inspectors communicate American foulbrood outbreaks to beekeepers at risk. These efforts significantly reduced the spread of foulbrood.
Over a century has passed since the first bee law, but inspection is still relevant today! Despite the advent of antibiotics and other advances in beekeeping, American foulbrood continues to threaten beekeepers and Utah’s honey industry. Registration and inspection serve to mitigate the spread of this disease and other threats to honey bees.”
We had the county inspectors look at our hives one year. They did a mite count and gave us suggestions on how to combat it. The problem we had was we waited too long to treat for mites. The colony was unhealthy when the cold season started and the bees were unable to winter over.
Utah Beekeeping Laws
I am listing the Utah beekeeping laws here, please note, that they can change at any time, I suggest you look at Utah and City code, but this is a general guideline.
R68. Agriculture and Food, Plant Industry.
R68-1. Utah Bee Inspection Act Governing Inspection of Bees.
R68-1-1. Authority. Promulgated under the authority of Section 4-11-3.
R68-1-2. Registration. Every owner or person coming into possession of one or more colonies of bees within the State of Utah shall register with the Department of Agriculture and Food in accordance with the provisions in Section 4-11-4 of the Utah Bee Inspection Act within 15 days after coming into possession of such bees.
R68-1-3. Apiary Identification. Each apiary location whether permanent or temporary shall be identified by a sign showing the owner’s registration number issued by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food at least one inch in height, easily readable and displayed in a conspicuous location in the apiary; or similar identification conspicuously displayed on one or more hive bodies within the apiary. Any apiary not so identified shall be considered abandoned and shall be subject to seizure and destruction as provided for in Section 4-11-14.
R68-1-4. Assistance in Locating Apiaries. All beekeepers shall personally assist the department or county bee inspectors in locating their apiaries, or provide accurate and detailed information as to location of all bee hives under their control or possession.
R68-1-5. Salvage Operations. All salvage operations with respect to wax, hives and appliances from diseased colonies shall be performed in a tightly screened enclosure to prevent the entrance of bees according to the following procedure: A. Frames and comb from the diseased hives shall be held for at least 30 minutes in boiling water (212 degrees F) before any wax is removed. B. After removal from the boiling water the frames must be destroyed or boiled for a minimum of 20 minutes in a solution of lye water containing no less than 10 pounds of lye (Sodium Hydroxide) for each 100 gal. of water. C. Hive bodies, supers, covers and bottom boards must be thoroughly scorched or boiled for a minimum of 20 minutes in the lye water solution.
KEY: beekeeping Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: 1987 Notice of Continuation: September 6, 2005 [Source]
Beekeeping Resources (230+ Free Downloads)
These files I collected over the years when I started beekeeping. The majority of these documents have elapsed their copyright protection, which makes them free domain. If you find any errors, or documents that are copyrighted in this library, please let me know. Enjoy this free bee library provided by Cedar Valley Sentinel. If you find it useful, please share it with your fellow enthusiasts and maybe turn a few beehavers into beekeepers in the process. These files are all in pdf format and will open in another window. If you would like the entire library, let me know and we can make arrangements.
More Beekeeping photos
These are some photos from when I was a beehaver. They were taken at our little farm in Eagle Mountain.
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.