the bees i have are Italians. excellent honey quality and they produce well.. i have/had a 30x40 garden that had 24 different veggies, several fruit trees, apple, pears, early and late peaches, blueberries and then i plant another 400 sq ft of bee flowers http://encap.net/flower-kits/pollinator-honey-bee-mix/ and Borage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borage http://www.burpee.com/herbs/borage/b...rod000462.html

i also keep fresh water out for them. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...-gal-capacity# it hangs on the back fence. just put small rocks in the base, bees can't swim. these are just the places and seeds i get, you can buy where ever you want. *** all links used are for reference only*** it's what i use, but we needed a disclaimer in there somewhere.

another disclaimer ***i do not encourage others too do as i do. wear protection ie full bee suits, bee jackets w/long pants, full veils and gloves. i wear mine when i work with others hives. i have been stung 17 times at 1 time working others hives. if your allergic to bees, buy your honey locally or ask and we will work something out, i have a limited supply that i will offer members.***

that being said, most of the time i am working my bees in shorts, t-shirt and a smoker. i have VERY CALM bees! i have been stung 3 times by mine and all were my fault. 2 times i didn't tuck in my shirt and in the process of getting them out i got stung, the other was i closed my fingers and 1 got caught, again my fault. i see my bees no different than 'puppies' they need to be treated with respect.

over time your bees will get to know you. your smell, attitude, voice. no they don't understand sit,stay or come. but i believe if your calm and talk to them they understand you mean them no harm. i also spend time sitting close to the hive and talk to them, just being there watching is a neat experience. i am not an expert at doing this, far from it, i am a 1st year Beek. BeeKeeper.

join a local beekeepers club. the 1 i go too, is full of very nice folks. read anywhere you find information, Google is your FRIEND! below are some of the places i visit. (Mods, i am not meaning to intentionally violate any rules, just helping)

http://dtw.no-ip.info:8888/BirdCam.htm cool webcam to watch
http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.p...f99d46e639a51a
http://www.beesource.com/forums/forum.php

one more thought. i am learning when to treat my bees for various things, right now the friend that got me into them, when he treats his bees he make sure i get enough to treat mine.

i hope this was helpful, i will gladly answer anything i can. i am not crazy, i promise, this is what works for me. i have plenty more pictures too share if interested.

rob