Who makes up Boost the Bees?
Hi everyone!
We (my thousands of bees and I) reside in Denver, Colorado at a current count of 6 hives and 1 beekeeper.
My beekeeping journey began in 2017 when I saw a hive for the very first time with my own eyes! It then took another two years to muster up the courage to get my own bees! Boost the Bees came to "bee" in early 2020, shortly after I became a beekeeper in the summer of 2019.
Since then, I've been following this great adventure, learning all about the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) - also called the Western honey bee. I soon realized that there is SO much to learn, discover and share in the beekeeping world!
Boost the Bees is a memoir of this journey and I hope you enjoy your visit. I've truly enjoyed this path that I'm on and I have no idea where it's leading me, but it feels right and it feels good to my soul, so onward we go! And with that, I welcome you to follow along with me!
A thought that has been brewing: I'd like to develop a program that introduces veterinary professionals to beekeeping. After personally experiencing the therapeutic effects from regularly practicing beekeeping, I believe beekeeping could benefit individuals working in the veterinary field immensely. Most of my working life (~20 years of it anyway) has been dedicated to the veterinary field. I began as a kennel assistant when I was a teenager, then took on the role of assistant and I now hold certification as a Registered Veterinary Technician here in Colorado. Although I'm not actively practicing, I do maintain my credentials!
I urge fellow veterinary professionals to experience the therapeutic benefits of honey bees and beekeeping to aide in improving their overall well-being. Throughout my beekeeping journey, I have learned that there are a couple established beekeeping programs available to support individuals suffering from trauma. Please visit Hives for Heroes and/or Heroes to Hives if you would like more information on these established programs.
Are you interested in becoming a beekeeper?
I have found beekeeping to be personally rewarding, challenging and addicting! There is so much to learn and I urge you to start off by joining your local bee club first.
Most beekeeping clubs manage their own apiary and I'd highly recommend you attend several of their educational apiary visits. Learn the basics from watching and doing with them, including how to open a hive, read a frame and maybe you will even consider co-managing the club's apiary hives! This is a great way to develop the hands-on experience before you invest in getting your own bees.
I think it's safe to say that your beekeeping club would be thrilled to have you jump on board to help manage the club apiary. This type of exposure to honey bees will build your confidence because you'll be managing the hives with more experienced beekeepers who can provide insight, education, on-the-spot problem solving, and valuable beekeeping tips and tricks. Find a club near you today!
In the beginning, you're considered a "new-bee" in the beekeeping world . . . and you have SO MANY QUESTIONS!
I get it! It's okay! You will learn! As a new-bee, I realized rather quickly that finding correct answers online was going to be a bit of a challenge. Here, I provide a couple of recommendations to you, based solely on my opinion.
A reliable source that I continuously reference is Rusty Burlew's site: Honey Bee Suite. She has contributed extensively to the bee community through her online presence and up-to-date, well-written information.
Another incredibly educational resource is Blake Shook's company website: The Bee Supply. Blake is located in Texas and has been beekeeping since he was 12 years old I believe! He has the patience and kindness to carefully guide you in your early (and later) stages of beekeeping. The free monthly webinars are a true gift! I definitely recommend getting signed up to those on his website!
As you advance in beekeeping, it's very likely that you'll start asking a ton of "why's" and seeking out more scientific explanations. With that in mind, I recommend Randy Oliver's site: Scientific Beekeeping. You'll truly get lost in his site and I urge you to do so! Randy is an independent Biologist and resides in California. He's been a guru in the beekeeping industry for decades!
If you're willing and able, consider supporting them and their work with donations. We often don't think about the behind-the-scenes work (dedication, devotion, dollars . . .) that goes into maintaining websites, researching and writing blog posts, or in Randy's case actually performing scientific experiments/trials, etc. I've come to learn that we could all use a little bit of support sometimes. As the Boost the Bees' motto goes, "Sometimes a bit of a boost is all that is needed . . . "
In the end, you will keep and manage your honey bees in a way that is truly unique to you!
It's important to find what works well for you and your bees. This may take years and will continually evolve as you advance as a beekeeper! You will establish a relationship with your bees and this relationship is what drives you to improve your methods and management by furthering your education and researching alternative options, especially if you didn't get the desired results.
You will never know everything there is to know about your honey bees, their pests and pathogens, their requirements or the whole art of beekeeping. I will say, it is very beneficial to keep detailed notes that you can easily look back upon as you grow on this journey. I also encourage you to get involved with your local club early on and collaborate with your local beekeeping community! Online beekeeping communities can be fun and supportive, but steer clear of negativity!
My advice:
1. Be sure to specify your location when asking questions online or in group settings - beekeeping is very local!
2. Weigh the pros/cons of advice you receive from other beekeepers. Not all advice you receive will be good advice (especially on social media) and what works for one beekeeper and their hive(s) may not work for you and yours.
3. Don't get discouraged by some of the opinions/criticisms/answers you receive. Remember you're new and that's okay! There's also just some rotten eggs out there with doom and gloom mentality. You choose who you connect with!
4. Begin taking good, detailed notes early on (from the beginning!) and reference them often so you learn what works well. Learning from your mistakes is part of growing as a beekeeper and the goal is to not repeat those mistakes, but you have to remember what they are in order to avoid them!
5. Trust your gut! Over time, as you work more and more with your bees, your intuition may start to kick in and you'll notice a stronger connection begins to develop between you and your bees . . . listen to these instinctive thoughts and nudges! In my opinion, this is one of the best parts of beekeeping.
6. Find a mentor who is supportive and wants to help you succeed as a beekeeper. Being able to text questions or pictures to that person is so, so helpful! And remember to be respectful and mindful of their time and boundaries. They have a life too!
7. I've said this a few times now, but it's huge! Join your local club to meet other like-minded, passionate beekeepers. This allows you to swap ideas, problem solve and participate in a fun, enriching, educational community! I can't say it enough, it's super fun and so valuable!
8. Improve your beekeeping skills by continuing to get in, manage, and work your hives as is needed. Seek out knowledge every year and continue learning! In all seriousness, the learning never stops!
9. Have fun and take LOTS of pictures! Share your stories with family, coworkers, beekeeping buddies, friends, neighbors, people standing in line at the grocery store . . . lol, I'm sure they'd probably dig it! You may even consider being supportive and active in your community if you're at a point in your life where you can and are willing!
In a nutshell, enjoy your beekeeping journey from the very beginning. Before you know it, you'll have 5 years under your belt!
As you can guess, I really strive to provide useful and helpful information to you on my site. I'm hoping to include more details of the findings of hive inspections, mistakes and hive losses over the seasons. In the meantime, I've focused a lot on resources for you to explore in your free time and how you can get involved more as a beekeeper in your local community. Boost the Bees is an open book and I encourage your questions, comments and feedback.
Thank you for your support. I love having you on this journey with me and the bees!
Happy beekeeping!
Kim Pisowicz
Beekeeper - Boost the Bees
Kim Pisowicz - Boost the Bees
Goofy pic! I was so thrilled to be at this Summer bee camp though!
Very special thanks to...
I want to thank all of you for taking an interest in our pollinators. Your growing support is an inspiration and I appreciate you visiting Boost the Bees.
My biggest thanks goes out to my husband, Jordan, for the past, present and future love and support. I absolutely love my bee shed that you built from the ground up for me! I'm forever grateful for your generosity, talent and willingness to fix what I need for the bees. I would not be as far into this adventure if I didn't have you by my side, improving my process and making the work I do much simpler!
Thank you, Robert C., for giving me my first bee swarm in July 2019. You helped me get this adventure going by giving me my first swarm of bees and turning me into an actual beekeeper! Many thanks!
Additional thanks to:
Stephanie B. - Bryan Z. - Tina S. - K.T. - Greg M. - Seneca K. - Leslie N. - Edwin M.B. - To Bee or Not to Bee - And all of my supportive family, friends and fellow beekeepers!
In remembrance of:
My dear friend, Maggie R. Maggie was supportive of my bee shenanigans from day one. Past beekeeper and shenanigan-lover herself, Maggie believed in me, encouraged me and kept me on my toes throughout our friendship and I will always remember her kindness, sweet smile, and quirkiness. Sweet sleep, Maggie.
A special thanks to my mentor, Dan M. Tagging along to rescue a swarm with you on my first night of bee club was a dream come true for a new-bee! You were there as I pursued my beekeeping journey and I appreciate all you taught me along the way.
My most dedicated feline companion, Pumpkin. Punky lived such a beautiful life by my side for 19 years! He was such an amazing kitty! I hope you're continuing to follow along with me somewhere in this life. Love you, Punky!
Check out the 1st swarm rescue I ever witnessed!
Field photos of the bees and me!
How did I get into beekeeping?
In the Fall of 2017, my husband and I moved to a rental property in SW Denver where I discovered a 3-deep Langstroth hive in the garden behind our house. Um...super cool!
The gardeners working the gardens behind my house were "hosting" the hive. Hosting allows for a beautiful relationship that benefits the bees, as well as the crop yield and quantity of produce for the farmer/gardener. It can be a perfect scenario for individuals who are not interested in managing the hive, but still want to enjoy watching the bees and receiving the added pollination benefits . . . and of course, some honey after the harvest!
This hive in particular belonged to the Butterfly Pavilion and their beekeepers managed it. The gardeners and crops benefitted from the exceptional pollination services provided by the honey bees and in return, the bees won the jackpot by being able to bring in fresh, nourishing pollen and nectar to feed the colony. In retrospect, I bugged the heck out of those beekeepers when they came to work the hive, lol! Here's a quick shoutout to Mario and Georgia for your kindness and patience with me back then!
When 2018 came, we planted a garden of our own and those bees were ready and willing to assist with pollination. I boasted heavily about the corn we grew that year! What I later discovered is that corn is mainly wind-pollinated and honey bees don't prefer it, but they'll take what they can get if resources are limited. If the bees do visit a wind-pollinated crop, they will increase the quality/yields of that crop! I can't tell you how many pictures I took of those bees on our corn crop. My husband and I grew up in Indiana, which is "the corn state," and we still (to this day!) think that particular crop of corn was the best we'd EVER eaten!
As 2018 began to wind down and winter set in, I started researching the honey bee and how one "becomes" a beekeeper. The reading fascinated me and I was SO captivated by what I was learning that I haven't stopped learning about them since!
Want to share your story? Send me an email at boostthebees@gmail.com and be sure to add some pics!
Of course there's more to this adventure . . . but first some more field photos!
You'll notice the trend with beekeeping and smiling!
More field photos!
Spring of 2019 is when it all started taking shape!
I wanted to learn more, so I joined the Denver Mile Hive Bee Club (MHBC). The first club meeting that I attended ended up turning into an adventure to remember! One of the beekeepers at the club got a call that a swarm needed rescued and he asked if there were any volunteers that wanted to go with him. I raised my hand so fast and volunteered myself to go with this complete stranger to witness the rescue of a honey bee swarm! And, just like that I was engulfed into the world of beekeeping!
And then, the time finally came! In July of 2019, I became a beekeeper with a small swarm hive that was given to me compliments of one of the beekeeping club members. As a first-year beekeeper, I PROUDLY overwintered that little swarm hive! Years later, I came to learn that overwintering that little July swarm was quite the feat! As the saying goes...
"A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly..." -- Mid-17th century saying.
Succeeding in that first year of beekeeping was just the tip of the iceberg for me. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into, but I truly could not stop myself at that point.
Fast forward to 2024:
Now my 5th winter in beekeeping has passed and we're heading into our 6th, along with countless beekeeping adventures. I have achieved so many things, but to be honest, there is still so much to learn! Do I want to begin rearing my own queens, selling my own nucleus colonies (update: I did in 2024!), teaching classes, start lecturing, write for the bee journals, make a variety of soaps, creamed honey (I did and won 1st place for it at the Colorado State Beekeeper's Association winter meeting 2024!), candles, beeswax products, build hive equipment, sell at local Farmer's Markets? . . . Oh the possibilities are endless!
One thing for sure is that I truly cannot express how thrilled I am to have you on this journey with me! If you're just starting beekeeping or if you've been at it for a bit, then you are well on your way to understanding the true enjoyment and excitement of keeping bees!
So cheers to you, fellow beekeeper!
Let's keep this going!
Spring of 2020 - Freshly installed packages as dusk sets in!
Field photos from the early days!
What are we up to now? What's been done?
A lot has happened since receiving that first small swarm of bees in July of 2019 . . . here's what we are up to now!
Active memberships to:
- MHBC: Mile Hive Bee Club (since '19) - I'm the newly elected Treasurer for 2024-2026 (Woot, Woot!)
- CSBA: Colorado State Beekeepers Association ('19) - I'm a Journeyman in the Master Beekeeping Program!
- ABF: American Beekeeping Federation ('21)
- WAS: Western Apicultural Society ('21)
- HBVC: Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium - Student Member ('23)
- SBGMI: Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan ('23)
Subscriptions to:
- Bee Culture magazine
2024:
- Elected as the new Treasurer for Denver's Mile Hive Bee Club for a 2-year term!
- Created a new store site for our local bee club if you'd like to support Mile Hive Bee Club!
- Continuing as a Journeyman in the Colorado Master Beekeeping Program
- Sold three 5-frame nucleus colonies this year
- Learned how to make Creamed Honey . . . YUM!
- Won 1st place for my creamed honey and my honey frame won 2nd place at the CSBA winter meeting 2024!
- Attended the all-day New Mexico Beekeeper's Association Winter '24 Virtual Conference 2/10/24
- Completed 15 continuing education hours through HBVC (Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium) on topics such as hive health, pests and pathogens, pesticides, brood and honey bee diseases, and climate change and its affects on pollinators.
2023:
- Attended the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium conference virtually on 9/30/23 & 10/1/23 - adding 12 credit hours to my veterinary technician credentials!
- Volunteered at the CSBA (CO State Beekeeper's Association) summer meeting.
- Volunteered at the National Western Stock Show beekeeping booth.
- Spoke to Kindergarten Daisies Girl Scout Troop in celebration of Earth Day and the importance of bees on Earth.
- Undergoing the Journeyman portion of the CSBA Master Beekeeping Program.
- Completed 4 continuing education (CE) courses through VSPN (Veterinary Service Personnel Network) and received CE certificates for 18 credit hours thanks to Dr. Meghan Milbrath's top-notch online courses.
- EXOT 111-0123: Working with Beekeepers
- EXOT 112-0123: Biology
- EXOT113-0223: Management
- EXOT114-0323: Pests & Diseases
2022:
- Completed serving my 2-year term as the Denver Mile Hive Club Vice President in December 2022!
- NAVTA: National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America published an article I wrote titled, "Finding Bliss Through Beekeeping" where they placed me on the cover of their May/June 2022 journal and chose my article to be their feature story . . . Check it out here!
- Volunteered at Culver's Ice Cream event for National Honey Bee Day to educate the customers about the importance of honey bees.
- Presented to a small group for Earth Day at an event held by The Dead Roots
- Graduated and awarded Certified Apprentice Beekeeper status through CSBA in August after attending lectures, passing the field exam and the final written examination.
- Completed 3 continuing education (CE) courses through VSPN (Veterinary Service Personnel Network) and received CE certificates for 12 credit hours in the following courses:
- EXOT 112-0122: Honey Bees: Reproduction
- EXOT 113-0222: Honey Bees: Feeding & Care
- EXOT 114-0322: Honey Bees: Pests & Diseases
2021:
- Continued serving as Vice President of the Denver Mile Hive Bee Club throughout 2021.
- Obtained 3-year certification for safe food handling via Food Safety Training for Colorado Cottage Food Producers (received 8/18/21 - valid through 8/18/24).
- Volunteered at Cider Days with the Jefferson County 4-H beekeeping club.
- Volunteered at the CSBA (CO State Beekeeper's Association) winter meeting.
- Began branding and labeling Boost the Bees honey products.
- Completed 2 continuing education (CE) courses through VSPN (Veterinary Service Personnel Network) and received CE certificates for 4.5 credit hours in the following courses:
- EXOT 109-0121: Honey Bees: Fat Healthy Bees
- EXOT 101-0121: Honey Bees: Veterinary Medicine
- Resigned after 1.5 years as a full-time beekeeper with Best Bees Company in Aug 2021 and started Boost the Bees!
- Created and branded our logo, FB, IG and website to provide important information and fantastic products to you!
2020:
- Elected Vice President of the Denver Mile Hive Bee Club and began serving my 2-year term (2020 - 2022).
- Employed as a full-time beekeeper for the Best Bees Company (Feb 2020) where I gained much experience and grew my confidence with each hive inspection I performed. I was able to develop & enhance my beekeeping skills by learning many beekeeping techniques and procedures including various fixes, queen introductions, combining hives, installing hives and relocating hives. This experience increased my hands-on exposure drastically by giving me the opportunity to work just over 50 hives in various settings, including multiple downtown Denver roof tops! I set up, installed and managed an apiary of 8 hives for the company, in addition to managing my own 4 hives. Also, having an experienced, educated regional coordinator available to assist me with uncertainties was a huge bonus for expanding my knowledge and problem-solving skills.
- Completed 2 continuing education (CE) courses through VSPN (Veterinary Service Personnel Network) and received CE certificates for 4 credit hours in the following courses:
- EXOT 106-0220: Honey Bees: Splits and Swarms
- EXOT 108-0720: Honey Bees: Managing Varroa Mites
2019:
- Joined the Denver Mile Hive Bee Club and witnessed a swarm rescue the evening of my first club meeting.
- Volunteered at the National Western Stock Show beekeeping booth.
- First year of beekeeping began in July with a very small swarm hive.
2018:
- Began this honey bee expedition by learning all I could all year long!
2017:
- First time ever seeing a Langstroth hive in my life!
- Bugged the heck out of those beekeepers who were managing that hive!
. . . but enough about me, let's get to the bees!
New beekeeper tip:
If you're interested in continuing your education for free, there is a plethora of CE out there! Don't be afraid to seek out free knowledge! Check out my Facebook page for upcoming free CE opportunities or visit my Resources page for a list of great lecture providers.
. . . one more thing!
I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting Boost the Bees in your own way. THANK YOU!
Taking care of business!