Before the bees could even move in, I had to deal with our most famous locals: the curious Peninsula black bears. I have read bears love a hive (not just the honey) even more than Winnie the Pooh does, so a heavy-duty perimeter fence was mandatory.

We opted for solid cattle fencing because my ultimate goal is "do no harm" to our local wildlife. We are crossing our fingers that this sturdy physical barrier is enough to keep them out without having to introduce electricity... though I might reconsider if a local bear decides to a little breaking and entering.

This led to my very first official beekeeping lesson, which is that gravity always wins.

While digging the post holes with an amazing crew of family and friends, I managed to misstep and fall straight into a three-foot-deep fence pole hole. Ouch! The fence is up, my pride is mostly recovered, and the bees are completely safe.