Paul Brown has been a local beekeeper for the last 10 years. It is a thrill for him to open a hive and see the workings of about 50 to 60,000 bees. A hive needs about 100 pounds of honey to winter over in our area. The excess honey available can be 3-5 gallons per hive. Some years have none and other years far more. The Africanization of local bees is not a serious problem. You should have a license for beekeeping from the USDA. The best way to begin in find a mentor.