Educational Signs

Some of the signs on my Missouri property. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Some of the signs on my Missouri property. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Educational Signs

So you’re getting ready to keep honey bees on your property? Congratulations and welcome to the club, this has been the best of all of my life experiences so far!

As you check your list of equipment, you may want to consider adding a sign. I found these fun “honey bees at work” signs on Amazon and have them posted where our local delivery trucks stop and where my neighbors walk. The signs may be among the reasons why I’m now called the “bee lady” in the neighborhood.

Why signs?

If you live inside city limits, check your local ordinances on any provisions that impact beekeepers. If you have close neighbors, make sure your hive locations minimize bee impacts. By that I mean have a water source close to your hives to keep your bees out of your neighbor’s pool; place the hives where the bees will fly above the head of pedestrians and away from high traffic areas.

And provided your neighbors are interested in your new adventure, put up a sign to remind them.

Not everyone thinks putting up a sign is a good idea. Some beginning beekeepers have told me the sign just brought attention to their new hobby and made people afraid of bees even more afraid so carefully deliberate before you do this.

The bottom line is that now that you are learning to keep bees, you will become an ambassador for these marvelous pollinators and the more chances you get to educate others about what you are doing, the better.

Charlotte