Helen has sent the best bits of beekeeping. I must say that when i asked Helen for advice on bee keeping she knew I was going to propose setting up beehives for a project - she knew that I would not be around full time and that other people would have to take charge and fund it too. It's a big decision to set up and look after bees, so her thoughts reflect this.
Hi Becs
I did send 'best bits' but they might have been in email part 2.
They are:
1 Being party to a completely unknown world, though the bees never recognise the beekeeper as a part of their private world, she / he (the beekeeper) is always an intruder.
2 Meeting a group of fascinating, fascinated beekeeper people.
3 Taking on a project that then becomes a way of life and around which ones life plans have to fit e.g dropping everything at a moment's notice to go after a swarm, taking ones holiday at a suitable non bee time etc...
4 Realising that insect instinct is older than human time.
5 Keeping the project going for half a life time...
Helen
The image here is from Blackboard Illustrations for Object Lessons by F.Steeley and B.H. Trotman
Oh, I do like Helen's "Best Part" especially the part about insect instinct. Beekeeping changes you that is for sure.
ReplyDeleteI find sitting by my hives and watching "the girls" work very soothing. I think it probably lowers my bloodpressure in the same way watching an aquarium is said to.
Checked my hives yesterday and they are still alive altho they have gone thru their winter stores and I have needed to start feeding them. But that is why I hold back a few frames of honey stored in my root cellar over the winter.
Happy spring (almost).