The incredible miracle of the bees’ work

On a very hot summer day you can observe the worker bees at the hive entrance fanning their wings to keep the hive at the necessary temperature – 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit — for raising brood, as well as to evaporate the water from the nectar to help turn it into honey. It is amazing to see how these tiny creatures brace themselves on their legs in a hunched-over position, remaining in position as they are jostled by other workers and drones coming and going, and even by would-be invaders such as yellow jackets and bumblebees. Single-minded in their devotion to their task, they leave it to the guard bees to chase away potential robbers.

Late Summer Gold

As I drive through western Vermont, my eyes feast on the goldenrod that is blooming wherever there is an unmowed piece of meadow or lawn.

This beautiful flower is the last major nectar and pollen source for Vermont’s honey bees until next spring (save the purple asters that will bloom in early fall). As I walked through a neighboring farm field I saw the golden flowers covered with bees….You can smell the honey Thistle Hill’s colonies are making from 3o feet away, it has been so strong the last few days.

Despite the persistence of the myth, goldenrod pollen doesn’t cause hay fever. It’s the concurrently-blooming ragweed that triggers allergic reactions. Goldenrod pollen is sticky and heavy; it falls to the ground. Ragweed pollen is lightweight and carried on the wind.

So, you can allow your goldenrod to bloom. If you leave your field and roadsides unmowed, then area bees can find food for their young in the form of pollen, and food for the approaching cold weather in the form of nectar that they will make into honey. If you don’t have any goldenrod in your yard, you can plant some there or in your garden, for some wonderful fall color. For more about cultivars, see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden web site.

The hives at Thistle Hill

Annie Watson, creator of this blog, with her two colonies of honey bees and crop
Mission:

* to educate people about the importance of honey bees, and their relatives in the order Hymenoptera, for the pollination of food and flowers

* to support the understanding that the collective power of many people to plant for the bees will make a difference in the health of our land and communities

* to provide practical ideas on what may be planted for the bees, and to be a forum for exchanging these ideas with those in the Champlain Valley and beyond to help provide the bees and other pollinators with more nectar and pollen, food for their families and community

The flow is on

Here at Thistle Hill in New Haven, Vermont, we spent the weekend watching the bees’ incredible activity as they worked the beginning of the bloom of the last big nectar and pollen plant of the season — goldenrod. Huge gobs of bright orange pollen in their baskets as they came in for landings…. We lay on the ground next to the hive entrance and smelled the heavy aroma of goldenrod honey that wafted on the airflow caused by many bees fanning their wings on the landing board.

They’re still driving drones out of the hives. I sat out near the hives and was visited by many drones as they made their last explorations of this earth.

On an early evening walk I spotted them on the interesting plant boneset — gathering a light tan pollen — as they did their major work on the goldenrod. Interestingly, I saw no bees on the joe-pye weed, a beautiful dull magenta-colored plant that lives in wetter areas.

Don’t cut your burdock down!

I have observed the bees gathering nectar and pollen from the burdock flowers in the past 7 days. With the land so dry, the flowers are not producing as much nectar. The more flowers we leave growing, the more food the bees can make for their winter.

Preparing for the elderberry/sureau harvest

St.-Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec

“The birds have always been there. So we decided to share the sureau/elderberry; it is good food for them. We know that we lose 10 – 15% of the crop to them, around 3,000 lb. of elderberry.

They usually only take the top; they do not touch the rest. An average bush will have about 10 lb., and the birds will get around a pound, pound and a half. After we de-stem the elderberry, we take the stems and put them in the woods where the deer get them. To preserve the crop, we do not have a choice but to put up an electric fence for the deer; they would eat half the crop or more.

We were inspected one week ago, and they accepted our application for organic certification; we went though a three year trial and are now fully certified organic. The manure that is used to fertilized the elderberry is organic.

It is a good year; the elderberry are bending over and the branches touch the ground. I have to go and cut some branches so that the elderberries will come up. Near the ground, there is too much humidity and diseases.

Right now, the berries still have a week and a half to mature. Then we will begin the harvest in the first week of September.”

Sylvain Mercier

Elderberries are amazing. They are both delicious and a powerful remedy at the same time. Their purple color comes from anthocyanins.They are in the well known family of “antioxidants”. Elderberries have been used for centuries for a lot of health issues. Among some of the most known and acknowledged medicinal properties, they are excellent against viral infections and they help stimulate the immune system . They are rich in Vitamin C, A and magnesium. Like most berries, they have anti cancer properties. Recent research also shows that elderberry syrup is beneficial for diabetic people because it helps increase insulin secretion which will improve sugar absorption. So it is a great tool in one’s natural pharmacy. Good for the common cold, the flu, building the immune system and helps against diabetes.

Jacinthe Desmarais, Doctor of Chiropractic, Doctor of Osteopathic, Canada

from Apitherapy News:
Study: Propolis Extract May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

Antiproliferation of Human Prostate Cancer Cells By Ethanolic Extracts Of Brazilian Propolis And Its Botanical Origin International Journal of Oncology, 2007 Sep;31(3):601-6

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (Apis mellifera) from various tree buds which they then use to coat hive parts and to seal cracks and crevices in the hive. Propolis, a known ancient folk medicine, has been extensively used in diet to improve health and to prevent disease…

Our results indicate that the Brazilian propolis extracts show promise as chemotherapeutic agents as well as preventive agents against prostate cancer.

Wherever you go, the land tells a story.

The early honey is darker this year. Some feel it is because the bees did not get nectar from the basswood tree flowers, which would have made the honey lighter. This is a result of weather and timing of nature. Where there are bees and pollinating insects, more fruit was set from the pollination. Much of the fruit is smaller because of the weeks of drought.

The bees made honey early this season, and then as the land and the plants dried up, the nectar also dried up for the last three or so weeks.

The leaves of the corn are curling up, to protect the plant from losing more water on the hot, sunny, dry summer days.

The arrival of the new crop always feels like a miracle. We have all sizes of northern raw honey in the honey house, and we are also shipping raw wild Maine blueberry honey, which our friends’ bees made on the blueberry barrens of northern Maine in June. This honey is darker, reminiscent of the color of wild blueberries. It is rare for the bees to make “surplus” or honey for extraction as the flowers are smaller than the bees, and they use most of the nectar for feeding their own families in the hives while in the blueberry fields for the month. The bees fill their honey comb in the lower boxes first, where they rear their brood and store food for the year. Beekeepers only take the top boxes or “supers” when they are full.

We are seeing the honey bees in Vermont and New York State strong and independent of the CCD/Colony Collapse Disorder that is killing bees elsewhere in the country. Most of the beekeeping in our region is organic, and as chemicals are not used on the bees, they are stronger and healthier. Many beekeepers in this area have been raising queen bees from their survivors, and this is one of the most effective ways to help the bees organically.

It is encouraging to see many new beekeepers throughout the land. Annemie Curlin is taking care of her first colonies of honey bees this season. I think that the bees recognized her long support of their community, as one of her hives has made the most honey in the two states and one province in this region so far this season. Annemie blessed us with the landscape drawing on the Honey Gardens’ logo/labels years ago, and is now helping with the graphics on our honey wine labels.

We appreciate your support of the bees and plants

Todd

honey bee gathering nectar & pollen from chive flower,
Annemie Curlin with her first crop,
Charlotte, Vermont, late July 2007

“My first objective was to help pollinate the fruit trees.

Also, I wanted to enrich the animal and plant cycle; by introducing honey bees, I added an additional beneficial element to the garden and nature around here.

Another thought was the aesthetic and long cultural connections; beehives are ubiquitous in Europe where I grew up, not only in the landscape, but in the folklore, the stories, and cultural consciousness… bees and bee hives.

…. and finally there was a personal connection to my grandfather Alois Schuh, who had an orchard, rose trees, and bee hives. He knew how to do all of these things, to take care of them and to make them flourish. I see the bees among my flowers; I feel that it makes my garden richer and more alive.

A lot of my other interactions with animals are adversarial; I try and protect the fruit trees from deer, the plants from insects, it can be a battle; with bees, it is mutually beneficial, I am happy to see them. We help each other; I plant flowers, which they like, they flourish and then give honey.”

Plants are an endless source of wisdom. They are my most patient as well as most persistent teachers.

99% of all living organisms on this planet are plants! That number always astounds me, and I am reminded of our most basic relationship with the plant world. Our constant exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide ensures our survival on this planet. Outside the honey house now everything is a brilliant green, the color associated with our heart chakra. When this chakra is open, we are able to give and receive the gifts of love, gratitude and appreciation. It is interesting as well that out of the four elements (earth, air, fire & water), the one that corresponds with the heart chakra is air or breath. When out in nature among the plants, I am reminded that our breath and our hearts are intimately connected, as we are to the plant world. This helps me remember to slow down, have patience, and open my heart.

A well known and respected herbalist once told me that when she visits clients for a consultation, the first thing she does is take a walk around the property on which they live to see what plants are growing. And amazingly enough, nine times out ten these plants are exactly what the client needs. One of my overall examples of a teaching plant is the dandelion. Dandelions persistence is remarkable. No matter how much effort people put into trying to eradicate this little yellow flowers from their lawns and gardens, the dandelion pops up everywhere, in cities and suburbs, between flower beds and between sidewalk cracks. Dandelion perseveres. As well as being a tremendous source of nectar for the honey bee, this flower has extremely important medicinal use in our modern culture. Dandelion is one of the most effective detoxifying herbs we have, assisting our livers in processing the overwhelming levels of pollution and toxins that surround us everyday. The flower essence of dandelion has specific uses as well for people today; this is for those people constantly on the go, helping people slow down, release tension and find balance in their lives.

Dandelion is not unique. The healing gifts of so many plants are amazing and endless. I was reading recently about a process called Phytoremediation, which according to the Wikipedia dictionary is the ability of plants to de-pollute contaminated soils, water or air by “containing, degrading or eliminating metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil and its derivatives, from the mediums that contain them.” I find this information fascinating. I am reminded again how amazing giving plants are to the planet itself, and I am inspired to give what I can back to her as well. I also realize that for those of us who are making efforts to live more sustainably and trying to help bring the earth back into balance; we are not alone, the whole plant world is here supporting us. The quote from Chief Seattle “Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself’” echoes in my mind, remind me that plants inherently live in a cohesive balance with all of life; it is time for us to do the same.

Recently at our father’s service, I read some lines from Deuteronomy 32:13:

He nourished him with honey from the rock ….

In the early days, bees made their homes in rocky places, and sometimes the honey would ooze out when the rocks got hot. Out of the hard times, we are given sweetness.

I recall the 22 hour drives from Georgia to the north a few years ago when Tom was my driving partner, driving the bees though the night to keep them cool and living. His encouragement for many years will always be so clearly felt.

We hope you are having a good summer and appreciate your support of the bees and plants.