Friday, May 15, 2009

It's a girl! It's about 18,000 girls!

I got a call at 6:45 a.m. from the "U.S. Government" according to the caller ID. Hello, Mr. President? It was the local Post Office informing me that our bees were there and could be picked up anytime (with the unspoken tone of "real soon!"). We put a hold on breakfast and drove over to pick up our 2 packages of bees.

Within a couple hours, and with the help of my knowledgeable beekeeping partner (he had a hive several years ago), we installed "our" bees safely in their new homes. Things went smoothly,and I was amazed how easy it was to stand in the middle of a cloud of buzzing insects. Perhaps this was because they were in a state of confusion, not a state of rage. Perhaps it was the veil and bee suit! Our daughter is often in the middle of things, and this was no exception. Dressed in a veil and gloves, she dove right in, brushing bees into the hives, and holding a queen cage at one point.















In the middle of the excitement, a bee landed on my shoulder, and I looked down into those compound eyes. It was one of those beautiful inter-species moments where we somehow connected. It felt like my admiration and adoration was returned in the form of trust. I know I'll do all I can to ensure the health and well-being of the hives, and not out of obligation. Somehow I know I'm gonna love these little ladies!

1 comment:

  1. Just remember Kirk, ladies come with stingers, too! You can interpret that however you will....

    My brother Mike is fencing in his bees to keep the bears out. He picked up two swarms last week and expanded his bee village. He registered with the County Extension Service in PA and gets calls when bees need to be removed from a house. He chainsaws the house, finds the queen and puts her in a box overnight. The next day he can bring the whole hive home.

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