We are having a gathering here on Saturday January 19, and we invite you to join us. The winter meeting of the Champlain Valley Honey Bee Cooperative is at 4:30 PM at the honey house, with a pot blessing dinner at 5 PM, and at 6 PM Ross Conrad will speak on the subject of his book, “Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture”, Colony Collapse Disorder: the current state of beekeeping and organic solutions.
have made more honey than your height.
Annemie Curlin with her bees and
smoker, summer 2007
Ross will talk about the alternatives to chemical practices. He has worked with Charles Mraz, the Vermont pioneer in beekeeping and bee venom therapy. This gathering is significant for honey bees and is typical of people all around the country coming together to collaborate on how to take care of the bees. As honey bees do not know political borders, the support of beekeeping spans people of all ages; we know that high school students to those in the retirement community to commercial beekeepers working with 1,500 colonies are coming on Saturday.
Around the turn of the century, people had a hive or two on their land just as they have animals or chickens now. This de-centralized hobby level of beekeeping is good for the bees. Organic policies are more apt to be followed, innovations pursued, and a strong mutual relationship develops. It is true that beekeeping is a challenge these days ~ after you get started, you will probably lose them after some winters. While a hive and equipment is an investment, the return is even greater – gallons of honey and also wax, pollen, and propolis if you gather these. Working with the bees is great exercise, and allows you to be outside and close to the land. Most learn to let go of the gloves and allow a few bee stings now and then. This is one of the strong anti-cancer programs one can be a part of; the bee sting is very good for you (if you are not allergic; seek advice first).
guarding the entrance to the honey house
We have learned from the bees that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts; the bee hive is a model community, all working together for the common good. The worker bees go through a process of cross training and working for three or so days in every job in the hive, each directed to their survival and success of the family, such as gathering nectar, pollen or propolis, making beeswax from honey, guarding the hive from the aggressive cousins (wasps & hornets), feeding the queen, and other duties.
As we work with the bees to be their stewards, they bless us with the pollination of much of what we eat. The interest in communities working together to help the bees and neighbor teaching neighbor has never been more vibrant. We are all stronger by working together.
The light is returning. As the days get longer with more sunny minutes, the queen bees are laying more eggs and helping to prepare her families for the Spring that is coming.