It all started back in August 2018, with a whisper of curiosity and a chance encounter that would forever change our family. My son, Jesal, a NASA engineer by trade, had stumbled upon the fascinating world of beekeeping. Soon, we found ourselves with our first mentor willing to take us to give us a taste of beekeeping in his own bee yard. We arrived at Beekeeper Jose’s place, got suited up and ready for our first “magic day” with the bees. Opening those hives, handling frames buzzing with life – it was truly a mesmerizing experience. We were hooked!
Our first encounter with Live Bees at local Beekeeper – 2018
Life, as it often does, threw a curveball in the form of COVID-19, pausing our budding passion. But the dream of becoming beekeepers never truly faded. Fast forward to February 2022, and Jesal and I were back, buzzing with excitement, enrolling in The Valley Hive’s 6-week Beginning Beekeeping Course. Our new mentors, Danny and Keith, guided us through the intricate world of honeybees, teaching us about queens, workers, drones, and the delicate balance of their daily lives
Learning technique to handle beehive from Mentor Keith
Graduating from The Valley Hive – March 2022 – (L to R) Danny Jesal Axay Keith
With our newfound knowledge and a permit from Los Angeles County – yes, we even got our backyard inspected and officially became an apiary! – we acquired all the tools, suits, and beehive boxes. Our excitement wasn’t just about honey; it was driven by a deeper purpose: to give back to nature. In California, bee populations were declining rapidly, and we saw this as our way of contributing, a heartfelt “thank you” to the natural world
First 2 beehives were installed in our backyard at late evening of April 14, 2022
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Beehives got their brand new home in Diamond Bar
Our first two Italian beehive Nucleus colonies (a new baby beehive ready to grow) arrived on April 14, 2022. We learned so much: how to keep the hive clean and healthy, how to understand their subtle communications. Everything was thriving until September 2nd, 2022, a scorching triple-digit day. We’d placed a temporary beach umbrella for shade, but a strong wind toppled everything. It was a trauma, a heartbreaking sight, but miraculously, both hives survived. We continued to battle mites and bugs, always prioritizing the bees’ health.
Golden Sweet First Honey harvest delivered by Nature
Most people think beekeeping is all about the honey. For us, it’s not. Service to nature is our main goal. The honey is a beautiful bonus. Our first golden harvest came on June 6th, 2023 – a lot of careful work to extract it without harming our precious bees. We faced setbacks, of course: a failing queen, local use of pesticides killing our bees, aggressive Africanized bee takeover, and even a hive that split and migrated. Each loss was heartbreaking, but each challenge taught us more.
New beginning with 3 new hive, new much stronger sturdy stand setup – April 2025
Our journey continued with new hives. This past April 30th, 2025, three new hives arrived, though sadly, one queen didn’t make it, leading to that having to be combined with another healthy “queen right” hive. But we still have two thriving hives, and our bees are wonderfully calm – a truly “meditative romance” experience. We’ve even built stairs on our hill to easily reach their hilltop location and Buddha head water fountain at our pond for our bees.
Bees are welcoming our new Beekeeping Family Member Shivam
And now, our family beekeeping team has grown! My younger son, Shivam, has shown a keen interest and often joins us for routine bee inspections. It’s become a truly special family passion.
This beekeeping journey has been an incredible adventure of learning, dedication, and deep connection to the natural world. We’ve experienced highs and lows, but the joy of watching our bees thrive and knowing we’re contributing to their survival and our local pollinator population is immeasurable.
Hear More About Our Beekeeping Journey!
If our story has sparked your curiosity, you’re in for a treat! Jesal will be giving a special Talk, sharing even more details and insights from our beekeeping journey, at the Raw Foodiest Monthly meeting on Sunday, July 6th. Come and learn more about these fascinating creatures and our efforts to give back to nature! There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. We’d love to see you there. (Click link to join event)
–Axay Shah
RawFood Guru
RawFoodiest.com