I got into bee keeping about three years ago. SO much to learn but the people within the bee keeping community are fantastic people and very friendly. In February (around my parts) there is a bee keeping seminar where you can network and get on some good e-mail lists as well as check out vendor’s latest wares. You should check it out in your area.
I’d like to learn, but my retirement bucket-list is long: ham radio license and veggie garden come first ;-)
I once lived next door to a house whose owner was ill and had been confined to the first floor for a long time. Nobody ever went upstairs, until one day her caregiver had some reason to. She found something dripping from the attic door, and the attic had been taken over by bees. They had to hire professionals to clear it all out. I don’t know what kind of bees, but they made honey!
One of the most beautiful and fascinating little books I’ve read is Maurice Maeterlinck’s ‘The Life of the Bee’:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4511/4511-h/4511-h.htm
-JT