BEE-AUTIFUL BEEKEEPING

Bees are one of the wonders of the world. Beekeeping has been an extraordinary experience - and one of which I never tire. Having their incredible liquid gold as our sweetener is an added bonus. There is always something to learn about this hardworking little insect - a lesson which can be applied to humans. A bees' entire life is focused on the love and dedication to their community. It is fascinating to watch the dancing communication between the little girlie bees, and the seldom seen but far bigger drones.

While the queen will never be seen unless the hive swarms off the drones are also rarely seen. Their purpose is to serve the queen while the little worker bees do pretty much everything. They keep the colony fed, protected and are responsible for the housekeeping - which includes temperature regulation no matter what the weather. The only time you will see such a massive conglomeration of bees is when the colony swarms. This happens when their home is threatened or when the colony becomes too big and it needs to split. With the split a new queen leaves with half the hive while the rest remain with the original queen.

The air literally vibrates with millions of tiny beating wings as the scouting bee parties call in their swarming colony. The anticipation of the people is equal to that of the bee colony moving into their new home. It is an extraordinary experience to stand underneath a swarm as it determinedly seeks out its new home.

Bees, and swarming bee colonies used to be be pretty common here but it is very rare these recent years. In fact bar one swarm that moved in last year, we haven't had a single bee hive since 2014. First we had a flood. Then it didn't rain for 7 years. The bees left early in the drought. Hopefully to happier homes. With the drought well over we are blessed with the return of the bees. And very strong swarms at that! I love watching the swarm. The air pulsates as the millions of little insects hang in suspense from trees or cliff faces awaiting news from the scouting parties.

Wild colonies will use whatever home they consider suitable for their needs. Often it is not suitable for the humans. Modern hives are wooden boxes with supers (superstructures). The frames inside have a basic wax foundation on which the little worker bees build. But don't think they need assistance! The honeycomb of the wild bee colonies is just as perfectly uniform. But giving a new colony a little head start always sells the real estate!

Ancient cultures record an interesting relationship between humans and bees. For millenia beekeeping has been an invaluable part of man's existence. Some cultures even paying wages with honey! Alternatives to wooden boxes were either clay jars or woven baskets to house bee hives.

When we have a swarm move in to an unsuitable place on the homestead we have to move them - as I explained in Beekeeping Obviously it is preferable to have them choose a hive to begin with, and many beekeeping tricks are used to entice them. We coat honey on the inside but @craigcryptoking has had great success with lemongrass essential oil.

Either way we are currently celebrating four strong swarms. Our gardens, fields and trees are also celebrating as the busy little pollinating move between the Spring blossoms. Of course, without these little pollinators the food of humans would be seriously jeopardized. So each little bee is to be celebrated.