In The Hive

As a beekeeper, I love bees! I try to leave them alone but it is best that I know what is going on. Since we keep bees in these boxes we call hives, we aren’t maintaining them in a natural environment – but that’s OK, not everything that is natural is perfect just as not every intervention by man is bad.

When I go into a hive, it is to see how the bees are doing. To judge their needs. To see their progress. Is the hive expanding? Are they getting themselves enough to eat? Is the queen laying well? Any signs of disease?

Going into a gentle healthy hive is exhilarating. There are bees on the honey comb, doing various tasks. Making wax and building honey comb, cleaning, feeding brood, packing pollen, moving nectar. There are bees flying around – just getting a potty break, or some sunshine, or food. The buzz of bees around you can be loud. The smell of honey, of wax, – and sometimes pheromones (like that lemongrass-like scent).

The bees are doing fine today. So I’ll just sit here an watch them come and go for a while and let them do their thing. I’ll just be amazed.


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