On a warm morning in June I find myself pouring my morning coffee over ice and taking it to go, slipping out the back sliding door to quiet sunshine. Footprints trail behind me, my bare feet leaving their mark in the dew as I head towards the gardens. The world around me is alive already in the heat of the sun’s morning rays as nature doesn’t waste a minute of this beautiful day. 

Little birds flit from post to post along the wattle fencing that surrounds the vegetable garden, their songs ringing out across the still morning air. I open the door to the greenhouse, the smell of wet soil and the warmth of growing plants touches my face as I prop open the doors for the day. As I pull up my rocking chair and sit facing the garden, I hear the busy hives alive with our colonies of honeybees, spot little winged bodies dipping and diving, soaring through the air in a hurried frenzy of activity. I sip from my mug, the smell of my coffee mingling with the scent of tomato plants inside the greenhouse and my heart feels full.

Summer is a busy affair in the apiaries on our farm, as the bee colonies work to replenish their storages of nectar, pollen and honey. With the warmth of the day, the hives come alive in a hum of activity heard from across the yard.

Foraging worker bees take flight from the hive entrances, their job, to find pollen sources to collect and return to the colony. When bees find an area abundant in pollen sources, they will perform a dance for their fellow foragers which depicts, through wiggles, where the other bees can find this pollen source and just how far away it is from the hive. If ever there was to be a happy dance I am sure this is it!

Also coming and going from the hive are the drone bees, the only male bees in the entire colony. The drone’s sole purpose in life is to mate with a queen bee. If he should happen to be the successful candidate, it literally will become the death of him because drones die after mating. 

If you want to gain access to the hive, you’ll first be met by guard bees whose duty it is to protect the hive. These dutiful bees march back and forth along the entrances of the hive making sure only those who are permitted to enter are granted entrance. They keep out bees from other colonies, predatory insects or pests and alert the colony of any immediate dangers by releasing an alarm pheromone.

Inside the hive hides the Queen. She is the most important bee in the entire colony, as she alone is responsible for laying the eggs and rearing the new brood. She does not leave the comfort of her comb and hive, but rather communicates by emitting a unique pheromone which lets everyone know all is well. At any given time, the Queen is surrounded by nurse bees whose primary job is taking care of the hatching pupa. They too remain inside of the hive, feeding and caring for newly hatched brood and also any sick bees within the colony.

Within the hive there are also worker bees whose duty it is to regulate the temperature. Temperature is important in the hive for proper brood development and health and so these bees have a big job. The hive is heated by the vibrating of bodies which in turn, raises the bee’s body temperature. With the need to cool things down, these little bees, acting as little AC units, will find water sources and bring back a droplet of water on their backs. By fanning their wings, they can evaporate the water and cool down the hive.

As the sun begins to set on another day, throwing golden rays over the garden, it catches little bees in haloed shadows. Closing the greenhouse doors behind me, I look forward to our fourth summer of beekeeping. I reflect on how much we have learned over the course of a couple of years, and how much we have yet to learn. That is the beauty of beekeeping, just when you start to think you have things figured out, Mother Nature reminds you that you are merely a human being and will never understand the fullness of her wildness. The bees keep us learning, they keep us wondering and they keep us connected to how the world around us works in harmony.

Photography by Hadleigh Burch of A Little Wild Farm

MORE ARTICLES FOR SUMMER READING:

• Drops of Summer
• Women of the Wagons
• Lavender Lemon Sun Tea