"The hum of the bees is the voice of the garden ."
- Emily Lawrence
On the frequent occasions I would sit down to relax on what I call the "Upper Veranda" with a cocktail, after a long day of either teaching or gardening; I found I really enjoyed watching the bees. They would move from flower to flower; buzzing around and landing on each one, doing their duty then off to the next. It was oddly soothing. So I decided to learn more about them. I was beginning to really develop as a gardener and felt educating myself on pollinators was a good idea. The more I read about these incredible creatures, the more I understood how amazingly complex and without equal they are. What I discovered was both delightful & a little terrifying. I knew their roll was important, but I had no idea as to the magnitude to which that was.
I read about owls, bats, butterflies, & ants...but none of these compared with the function of the Bees. I learned that their tireless work ethic & broad range of food sources was the most essential part of the vital cross-pollination process. While other pollinators often favor specific food sources and habitats, the diversity of the bee is what carries the bulk of it all. The vast scale to which the bee operates can not be replicated by any other creature or feat of science.
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90% of the Earth's entire flora population is dependent on their labor. Everything from grass & grains to trees, flowers, fruits & nuts; every animal we raise, crop we yield, flower we smell, or plant we utilize, is possible because of bees. We owe every bite of food eaten, every breath taken & medicine discovered to their existence. This is no exaggeration; bees are a most essential piece of the food chain, and sustainability of life on this planet. Farmers have long turned to the services of Bee Keepers to maintain a healthy local population of bees to ensure to survival of their crops; often they employ a team of keepers & invest in colonies of a substantial size, sometimes of multiple species specific to the pollination of their main exports.
As I continued my educational journey down the proverbial rabbit hole, I learned the art of Bee Keeping serves a priceless role maintaining the declining bee population & those who specialize in it serve us all in a way most of us may not comprehend. This fact furthered my fascination of this practice and eventually I decided to join the ranks and embark on a whole new venture...the keeping of bees!!!
Deciding to become a Bee Keeper required me to first educate myself on the practice, then there were some decisions to make. First I had to decide they type of hive that was best for me, and of course the species of bee I wanted to keep. Those who rely on the productivity of their garden really benefit from keeping bees. Flowers and produce really thrive when a population of bees is on premise. But different bees benefit from different types of flora, so those that specialize in certain crops should research what bees are best for them. Personally I wanted to satisfy my love of raw honey since I often use it in cocktail recipes & on my charcuterie board; there's nothing more rewarding than biting into a freshly harvested piece of honey comb, so I chose a breed of honey bee to build my hive from. It is wise to either plan your garden around your bees or vice versa....
Bees are a very hearty and self sustaining animal. They really only require an adequate set up, basic hive maintenance, & proper harvesting practice. The most important aspect is making sure you start your colony with enough time for a new hive to make enough honey to survive the winter & sectioning off the hive so the nursery develops in a safe place. Otherwise the hive takes care of itself, as they have done for hundreds of years. However, it is not a cheap nor a set it and forget it type of hobby. If you are saying, "Yay, free honey," right now, you might want to rethink beekeeping. It is an expensive hobby and one that requires commitment, these are creatures whose lives are under you care, just like any dog, cat, or other pet for whom you are their person. This is not to scare anyone away from beekeeping, being an apiarist is a rewarding and wonderful hobby. I have spent many a rewarding hour doing nothing but watching the bees fly in and out of the hive listening to that wonderful buzzzzzz. Be prepared for the cost however, the grand scheme of it can give many pause. Ask yourself, what your end goal is, if its free honey and that only, pass, if its a learning experience and the promise of being a positive change in the world of pollinators, I say set up that apiary!
As a teacher, I know there is nothing like hands on experience, that being said I had hoped to get that hands on experience in a class and not on my own. COVID had other ideas, I signed up for three different bee keeping classes that all were canceled or postponed to times where I was unavailable. I don't discount my research or my "on the job training" but if possible please take these very valuable classes. However, I was ready for my apiary and so here I am, ever the experimenter, trying my best to do more good than harm. I still plan on signing up for a class to make sure that I am the best caregiver I can be, but some resources I rely on are the book Beekeeping for Dummies 4th Edition by Howland Blackiston, the magazine "Bee Culture," & the wise words of apiarists before me. Start sharing your interest in bee keeping you will find that unbeknownst to you you actually know a few or know a friend of a friend who raises bees. It is a small world and apiarist are a larger group than they once were!
