Custodian of a Bee Colony

August 6th, 2010

In the mountains of Los Angeles we are having a perfect summer, less valley heat than normal, enough sunshine throughout the day, winds silent and the buzz of bees.

My friend Leslie had a swarm of honeybees in her garage attic, so Mr. Beeman captured the swarm in a box, and now I find myself an apiarist.

I am gathering thoughts on flower choices for my pollen loving bees, and to encourage our beautiful queen to lay her progeny.  Considering flowering times so the bees will have a continuous supply of nectar and pollen throughout the season is yummy to my prowess as a gardener.

The sweet golden honey is what attracts me to keeping my bees happy while also helping to bring back this important pollinator that has been in decline.  My honey harvest will promise friends and neighbors a jar or two of sweet ambrosia from one of nature’s wonders.

Bees are fascinating amid their industrious intricate community, and I like that they do their own thing and require of me only occasional tending.  For that we shall enjoy the fruits of my bee’s labor.

My favorite gardening shirt at Hot Moon Collection

5 Responses

  1. Carolyn Wulff says:

    I so enjoyed the “bee story”. Sometimes, in our busy lives, we forget the little miracles of nature. The orchestration of bees making honey, the millions of varieties of flowers. I try to stop and identify the flowers on my path, and I find it quite relaxing. Enjoy all your days! Carolyn

  2. Jean Nicol says:

    Your post prompted me to make the call. The number for the bee keeper has been on my desk for weeks. Now I’ll have cats in my house, dogs on my porch, chickens in my yard, sheep in my field and bees in my garden. Maybe I just have bats in my belfry. Life is good.

  3. The bee story reminded me of my life in Indiana on my family’s farm. We sometimes had bee hives and fresh honey….the best part to me was the waxy honeycomb….delicious! When we did not have bee hives our neighbors did and we would get honey from them and I always loved the moment when the lid to the hive was lifted and the golden “pot” of honey was revealed.

    Also don’t forget one of the best bee stories ever….THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

  4. I love this blog…….and what a delightful new hobby! anything that takes us back to nature, the earth, health…………and you look so sweet in that gardening shirt!

  5. domenique says:

    Nothing like taking in a stray……colony of bees that is! How remarkable. What a wonderful way to connect with earth and these wonderful, interesting creatures that help it to live and grow! Such beauty we are given, and we have only to open our eyes!

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