Conversations with Beekeepers: David Jones
by Billie Hinton
DAVID JONES
I have a degree in Product Design but spent 32 years as a private home inspector for owners, buyers, and sellers of property before I retired in 2015.
How long have you been keeping bees?
I started keeping bees in 2011.
Tell me about what drew you to the idea of beekeeping?
I’ve had a vegetable garden for many years, and thought having bees would help with pollination. I rarely saw honeybees in my garden prior to starting. I also was hearing about the serious problems beekeepers were having.
Describe the day you got your first package, nuc, or full hive.
When I got my first package, I was nervous, but excited. Fortunately I had an experienced beekeeper to help me.
Do you name your queens and/or colonies? If so, share the names and how you came up with them.
I don’t name my queens. I do number my colonies, and have gotten to be a pretty good record keeper.
Tell me about your current hives, including hive style and apiary set-up.
All of my hives are currently on our property, which is a mostly wooded area between Lake Jordan and Fearrington. I used to have all my hives in a row inside my garden fence, but now have them more spread out in three different areas. I have three horizontal hives, two 10 frame hives, four 8 frame hives, two multi story nucs, and an observation hive in my house. The 8 and 10 frame hives are a mix of medium and deep boxes, with a couple of shallow honey supers.
What is your favorite thing about keeping bees?
Every time I open a hive, it’s a new experience. I never know what I’ll find, although I have gotten better at guessing. I love the hum of the bee yard and the sweet smell this time of year.
How would you describe your beekeeping philosophy?
I believe in keeping local bees and treating as little as possible. I have not bought any bees or queens since 2017. I think the best queens are the ones that the bees raise themselves. Sometimes they don’t succeed, but I would rather add a frame of brood and wait than get a queen from an outside source. It seems to be working for me.
Tell me your favorite beekeeping story.
I got a call from a homeowner in Orange County in September of 2019 about bees in a tree on his property. The tree had blown over in a tornado earlier that year or maybe the prior year, but the bees were still in the tree. He was having it cleared out and wondered if I wanted the bees. I checked it out, and the opening was facing straight up to the sky. I figured that if the bees had survived and were apparently thriving, they must be worth having. The tree people that were doing the clearing cut the huge branch, about 20 inches in diameter, about 3 feet above and below the entrance. I covered the openings with #8 hardware cloth, dragged it onto my trailer with a winch, and brought it home. I set it up in the same relative position on my property, and the bees are still in it and apparently thriving today. I don’t know for sure, but I think I have gotten several swarms from it.
What was your experience with bees as a child? Any memories that come to you as you think about it?
Only getting stung when running around barefoot.
Is there a beekeeper or mentor who has inspired you on your beekeeping journey? Feel free to share anecdotes and/or appreciation.
Michael Bush and Tom Seeley have probably had the most influence on my beekeeping philosophy.
Do you have goals for yourself as a beekeeper that you’d like to share?
Bees that can take care of themselves without needing treatment.
Any advice for a brand new beekeeper?
Stick with it. You’ll probably lose your bees a few times before you get the hang of it. I know I did.
Add anything you wish I’d asked but didn’t!
My biggest thrill of beekeeping is catching swarms. When I first built my swarm trap boxes, I had lost all my bees the prior year. I still remember getting the call when bees moved into a hive I had placed at my friend’s property in southwest Chatham County. I had bees again!
