There's a tradition of telling a hive when someone in the family dies, so I guess I'm telling you: a hive has died.
I got too busy with work and the garden, I didn't take the time out to open the hive regularly and check on the girls. My desk used to face the hive, which is on the deck of our apartment near downtown Oakland. I used to monitor their comings and goings, then go back to typing, monitor, type, monitor...These days I've been bogged down with school and didn't watch them as well as I should. Finally I went out and inspected the hive--there was just a little ball of bees and no honey or brood. My guess is the queen died, and hence, the hive was doomed. That little cluster would eventually die. Lucky for me it's swarm season, and I hope to catch another. I think I'm going to relocate the hive, too, to a warmer, less windy spot.
Another piece of good news: we have two other hives--one at a farm in Pescadero, another in the backyard of some friends in Berkeley.
The photo is the hive in better days, an akebia quintata growing nearby.
4 comments:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/business/27bees.html?ex=1188795600&en=954295e51db99bbe&ei=5087&excamp=mkt_at2
Looks like the bees are gone in a lot of places.
I hope that you find a new swarm soon!
here is a better url
http://tinyurl.com/2n7ldm
I read your article on Salon about the bees leaving. Great article - it made me really sad. I loved the bit about the queen! (And I swear, I heard a buzzing behind me when I was reading it.) I have always thought about trying beekeeping, but it's going to have to wait a bit longer (at least till the kids have grown some). Oh, and I just started doing the blogging thing, too. Welcome to the club!
Best -
Liz Vance
www.ohbabyphoto.com
ohbabyphoto.blogspot.com
Enjoyed your article in Salon. Good luck with getting a new hive going! I'm afraid the fear of stings would prevent me from ever trying it, though.
Post a Comment