Buzz Off! Beekeeping in the time of Corona
...
During this time of pandemic lockdown, when we humans are all hunkered down in our homes, nature continues to go about its business.
When we venture out into the world, we are obliged to stay far apart from one another, but the same rules do not apply to bees. Swarms of bees that are protecting their precious queen are going to stick close together.
My friend Lori contacted me yesterday to let me know that one of her colonies of bees had "thrown off" a swarm, and to ask if I wanted it to replace the colony I'd lost.
We talked through the logistics of maintaining appropriate distance between us, in preparation for collecting the swarm that had landed in her neighbors' apricot tree. Greg and Lori live on one side of this hedge, and the bees had flown over to the neighbors' yard.
Bay Area residents are now required to wear face masks when we go out in public, and Lori and I wore our masks under our beekeeping hoods. It was all very weird.
Lori scooped the bees into the my fancy bee-transporting box. And after I left, she had to do it again because the bees had flown back up into the tree.
When the sun went down, and the bees had all settled in for the night, Greg and Lori delivered the box to my house. Honestly, I have the best friends imaginable.
Shortly after dawn, I unblocked the entrance to the cardboard box so the the bees could get some fresh air and stretch their legs. When I was more awake and the sun was up, I moved the bees into the awaiting beehive.
This was a remarkably straightforward operation. Beehives are a lot like file cabinets, with hanging file folders. They contain wooden frames, which house the wax honeycomb built by the bees.
I lifted the frames, one by one, out of the cardboard box, and placed them in the beehive.
The few bees left clinging to the walls of the box got gently brushed into the hive with a vintage drafting brush. The soft bristles of this style of brush are perfect for moving bees without injuring them.
When the bees were in the hive, there then ensued the inevitable miniature chaos of several thousand bees investigating a new hive.
Hopefully, the bees will want to stay in their home, and not buzz off.
During this time of pandemic lockdown, when we humans are all hunkered down in our homes, nature continues to go about its business.
When we venture out into the world, we are obliged to stay far apart from one another, but the same rules do not apply to bees. Swarms of bees that are protecting their precious queen are going to stick close together.
My friend Lori contacted me yesterday to let me know that one of her colonies of bees had "thrown off" a swarm, and to ask if I wanted it to replace the colony I'd lost.
We talked through the logistics of maintaining appropriate distance between us, in preparation for collecting the swarm that had landed in her neighbors' apricot tree. Greg and Lori live on one side of this hedge, and the bees had flown over to the neighbors' yard.
Bay Area residents are now required to wear face masks when we go out in public, and Lori and I wore our masks under our beekeeping hoods. It was all very weird.
Lori scooped the bees into the my fancy bee-transporting box. And after I left, she had to do it again because the bees had flown back up into the tree.
When the sun went down, and the bees had all settled in for the night, Greg and Lori delivered the box to my house. Honestly, I have the best friends imaginable.
Shortly after dawn, I unblocked the entrance to the cardboard box so the the bees could get some fresh air and stretch their legs. When I was more awake and the sun was up, I moved the bees into the awaiting beehive.
This was a remarkably straightforward operation. Beehives are a lot like file cabinets, with hanging file folders. They contain wooden frames, which house the wax honeycomb built by the bees.
I lifted the frames, one by one, out of the cardboard box, and placed them in the beehive.
The few bees left clinging to the walls of the box got gently brushed into the hive with a vintage drafting brush. The soft bristles of this style of brush are perfect for moving bees without injuring them.
When the bees were in the hive, there then ensued the inevitable miniature chaos of several thousand bees investigating a new hive.
Hopefully, the bees will want to stay in their home, and not buzz off.
Comments