I am wondering if any of you are beekeepers...Larry began this hobby a few months ago and I'm enjoying them as well. Hopefully, we'll have honey next year...with hopefully, more hives.
What's been the most incredible thing to come out of all this is that my Uncle, who lives in Montgomery (he's in his 80's), LOVES bee's and the annual beekeeping association is going to be held in Montgomery in October...I did some research for Uncle Norman and one of the women who formed the Montgomery county group owns a nursery less than 2 miles from Uncle N's home...he's going to meet her this afternoon...she's going to let him babysit one of her hives and help him get involved with the group. I wish I lived closer to Uncle N where we could tend to the hives together. He and I have spoken on the phone 3 times today and it's all about bee's...he's such a hoot and I can only hope that I'm a go-getter like him when I'm his age.

This is so cool, Dee! The bees need all the help they can get these days.

DH was a beekeeper years ago. We still have his honey in jars (that I am not allowed to open). His kids were very small and they helped.

He's even gotten calls to remove hives when animal control would not touch them.

It's a cool hobby but VERY demanding. yet challenging.

Di...so cool about DH keeping bees and that you still have honey. How many hives did he have?
Yonuh...yes the bees do need our help...I am so conscious about insect sprays and freak out every time the mosquito sprayer drives through our neighborhood. We called the county and registered our address as beekeepers and the sprayer is supposed to only come by after the bees are in the hive for the night...it still makes me nervous.

Well I am allergic to bee venom so can't be near bees. The Mormons at the foot of one of our mountains have bee hives by the dozen and also raise pigmy goats, they are so cute. Anyway a couple years ago the Killer Bees from California infiltrated their hives, killed most of the honey bees and had to be eraticated after attacking some of the hives keepers too. It was a real tragedy I'm told by some drom here who bought honey there. I am not sure what the situation is now but your post makes me want to inquire. Good beeing you two...

I have had a notion to have bees for a long time.Indeed a beekeeper promised to leave hives here for a season and start me off.Alas he died very suddenly so that never happened.A nearby village has many hives and keepers..The orchards and heather being the source of pollen.
Beekeepers are said to live long...(my friend didn't)and a
one tradition is that each evening at sundown the keeper tells the bees all the news from the area..
Honey is anticeptic..great for wounds ..ulcers and healing inwardly..
Trials of NZ manuka honey show great results but beekeepers believe their honey also would test well..but trials are costly..
one type of honey is said to aid cancer care...this is from bees kept in a valley in semi captivity and these bees visit certain plants only...hope for a natural cure for cancer may lie in our small friends the bees..
I am never afraid of bees and can catch a bee in my greenhouse in my clapsed hands much to my familys' amazement
without bees our food source would diminish...

what a great hobby for Larry..

Oops...we have small-hive beetles and have to order some equipment to help get rid of them...they can do real damage to a hive...I never realized how much bee's have going against them in this world.
I found a street sign that says BEEKEEPER Lane that I'm going to order for Larry to put at the end of our drive...won't that be cute?
Yes, MA honey is so good in so many ways...I'm just scratching the surface (no pun intended) in learning the medicinal purposes of honey.
what I find fascinating is to just sit nearby and watch them...I can get about 6 feet from the hive and they do not bother me and won't as long as I don't do something that makes them think I'm attacking them.
How in the world do you catch a bee in your hands without getting stung? Wow...we should nick name you the Bee Whisperer! Very, very cool!

These bees come into my green house and I hear them bumping their heads trying to get out..first time I did it I was only concerned with helping a distraut bee..after that I just thought "Well he didn't hurt me last time"
note this I have an epipen for severe reaction to certain things..but bee sting was not mentioned by the consultant..
I do have a few bee mementoes..a paperweight bookmark and a brooch..my friends know I like bees,,
the order within the hive is clever..and I believe they can communicate as to how far their wee friends have to fly to get nectar..they do a "bee dance" so they are social creatures.

bee whisperer would be fine Dee...

I'm not a beekeeper, but I know several local women who are and I delight in buying my honey from them. Especially since they have educated me to the concept that honey from LOCAL bees is healthier for us - especially if we are prone to pollen-related allergies. So that is one more medicinal use for honey...

My grandfather, an MD, first educated me as a child to the many wonderful benefits of and uses for honey, so I say, "You go Girl," to you, Dee!

And I love Mountain Ash's suggestion that you adopt the title of "bee whisperer."

So delicious!

Anne

My sister had MS for many years and when it would act up, one of her specialists had her come into his office where she was stung on the upper arm by a bee. Honest injun, and then for weeks she would be fine, no tremors, dizziness, no paralisis, or other MS types of misery. I found that amazing!!! I read up on the bee sting prodedure and it is a logical and often used remedy to help people with this disease...