Bees are like Rock Stars

Okay, so Sue Foley is a blues legend, not really a "rock star".  But we love her, so we're planting her in the middle of this musing on our backyard bees:

We currently have a wild hive about 15 feet high in one of our massive oaks on the east side of the house.  Our real question is how to get from the wild hive to the box hive.  Honey we can't get to, to honey we can.

That's next Spring's project, but we can't help but think about it.... a lot.... every time we work in the yard.  Our bees love our yard, and we intend to keep it that way.  There are more, and more fragrant, blooms here than they probably know what to do with.

What kind of honey will we get, we wonder, with blackberries, and clover, and plums, and dandelions, and corn, and basil, and rosemary, and autumn sage, and.... the list goes on and on.  Hopefully, so will the subtle flavors in the honey.

When we get to that point, however, we will have to handle our little moneymakers with care.  They really are like rock stars, you see.  Listen to these words of wisdom about beekeeping, handed down through generations:

Don't bother them until midday
Require cool white smoke to relax
Don't stand in their sun
Handle bees gently
Don't make them watch you work; use sleight of hand
When you're done, put it back exactly the way they like it
Don't breathe on them, but do tell them not to freak out

 We suppose you could add, be very careful when renting them a room in your posh hotel, but that one probably goes without saying, right?

Anyway, we're also working on a butterfly garden, but that just doesn't have the same excitement factor to it.  Butterflies are equally picky, but they don't make honey, and they just don't seem quite so urban-farmish.

Those are our ponderings for the weekend; we'll get back to work soon.  More mulching to do, and such, you know.

Happy farming!