"I am fascinated by the interactions between bees. I am fascinated by the interactions between beekeepers."
"Nature has unlimited time in which to travel along tortuous paths to an unknown destination. The mind of man is too feeble to discern whence or whither the path runs and has to be content if it can discern only portions of the track, however small."
The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
The Carolina Bee Company Team
The Carolina Bee Company is really just two people, Todd and Monica Warner who share an interest in honey bees. Todd, the outdoorsy science and nature geek, has always been intrigued by bees, ants, and other swarming social insects. Unsurprisingly, beekeeping has always been peripherally intriguing to him. Out of curiosity, Todd purchased a used beekeeping book1 at a library sale in the early 1990s. This book sat on his shelf unread for a decade until 2004 when Todd heard an NPR2 news story outlining the ongoing struggle of beekeepers and bees against the varroa mite. He finally picked up that book and read it.
Todd was immediately intrigued and eventually wound up in a beekeeping course. In short order he bought a ton of equipment and 21,000 honey bees3. Todd was suddenly a beekeeper. Monica was a little leery at first but was willing to give the whole "Bee Thing" a try. Monica is now a certified beekeeper as well and loves beekeeping just as much as Todd.
The Carolina Bee Company was born and the rest is apicultural history.
Welcome to the apiary!
—Todd and Monica Warner and the rest of the The Carolina Bee Company team (ie. the bees!).
- Beekeeping: an Illustrated Handbook by Diane Stelley, First Edition, 1983.
- National Public Radio
- 21,000 bees is approximately six lbs of honey bees, or two small starter hives. To start a very small starter hive, one generally starts with one queen and three pounds of bees per hive.
