In this Galena Farms Beekeeper Feature, we meet Jimmy Kramer, a beekeeper from the Finger Lakes region of New York who is in his fifth year of beekeeping. What started as a way to stay busy and make some extra money during COVID-19 has grown into a 55-colony operation spread across three locations. 

After unexpectedly finding a swarm of thousands of bees around their garage, Jimmy and his wife had to quickly put their equipment and limited knowledge to work. Without a mentor, Jimmy relied on research, experimentation, and learning as he went. Today, Jimmy now manages 55 colonies and continues to expand his operation. 

Topics Covered:

  • Growing from an unexpected first swarm to 55 colonies across three locations

  • The challenges of honey production

  • Learning to keep bees without a mentor or previous hands-on experience

  • Why there are often many different ways to approach beekeeping

  • Jimmy's approach to experimenting and finding what works

  • Maintaining an 80–85% colony survival rate through different winter conditions

  • How Hoover Hives have performed throughout his growing operation

  • Why new beekeepers don't necessarily need their own property or extensive knowledge to get started

For anyone considering beekeeping, Jimmy's experience is a reminder that you don't need to have everything figured out before getting started. While books, online resources, and experienced beekeepers can provide valuable information, much of the learning happens through hands-on experience and figuring out what works for your own operation.

His advice for new beekeepers is encouraging: don't feel like you need to know everything beforehand or have a mentor before you begin. Beekeeping can be learned along the way, and mistakes and colony losses are part of the process. His experience shows how quickly a small start can develop into a rewarding and continually evolving part of life. And, as Jimmy puts it, beekeeping can be more addictive than you realize.