Beekeeping Goals for 2018

• Establish an "out yard" for my hives
  DC law permits a resident to have just four hives per apiary. I have four hives on my second story porch (two full-sized hives, two nucleus aka "starter" hives).  An out yard will give me the ability to expand the number of hives I can manage and ultimately the amount of honey and wax I can harvest. 

• Learn more about varroa mites and share my knowledge with others
  The aptly-named Varroa destructor or varroa mite for short, is an invasive pest that all beekeepers must now worry about. Researchers are actively exploring all aspects of varroa biology, reproductive lifecycle, locomotion and environmental requirements in order to develop effective treatment strategies to rid honeybees of this pest. Publications about the mites appear each month so staying current is a challenge and figuring out how to use this information to take effective action is even more difficult.  In 2018 I hope to be able to learn more and share that information with my fellow beekeepers.  

• Improve my record-keeping  
  I try to take notes every time I visit my hives but this year I'll be more observant about the world around me. This is the year I'll be sure to add notes about the weather and what is blooming so I can compare these signs of Spring from year to year.