Tag: beekeeping blog

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Prayer for the Bees

Here at Winterpast, the news isn’t what we wanted to hear. Our bees are failing like so many more in Northwestern Nevada in 2024. The scary part is that there’s no obvious answer as to why. Not even the best entomologists throughout the country can identify the cause. But, when dealing with wild animals, that’s often the case.

With such optimism, we started this journey with the 2023 Christmas gift of a hive and tools. We attended classes and ordered books from which to learn. The most beautiful mentor came to Winterpast to not only help us, but to become a dear friend.

Our very calm, sweet, and expensive Saskatraz bees were delivered and “installed” into our hive. Even bee hives are available from Amazon, although a real bee keeper would never purchase one there. Live and learn the 100 reasons why while surrounded with 25,000 flying friends.

HHH has suffered through stings, while I’ve avoided them for now. All the while, we’ve watched and learned from these wonderful little creatures as the spring and summer seasons have flown by.

As it turns out, on August 6th, over 60 bee keepers came together for the monthly meeting. They all share and intense love of bees. With over 600 collective hives, only two held extra honey. The rest are in real trouble.

Wednesday, our sweet Bee Lady came to visit. With excitement, we hoped that we could be the 3rd hive that had extra honey. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Our top honey super (shorter box) was completely empty. No comb. No honey crop. Nothing. Our hive is suffering just like all the rest in Northwestern Nevada. This failure is across the state, from the desert to Lake Tahoe.

Our queen may have died, but at the very least, the hive is stressed for reasons unknown to us. They’ve had food and water at the correct times. They were treated for mites. Their hive was placed in their very own private spot in the back yard. We planted every kind of flower any bee would love. And yet, they failed.

We won’t know the outcome for another month or two. It’s possible the hive will live through the winter, but as we march toward fall, the population will naturally decrease. Without the proper number of bees to warm the hive through the winter, they’ll freeze to death.

Please, pray for the bees of the world. The Bee Lady summed it up this way. Without bees, we would still have wheat for bread. However, the jams and jellies of the world would be a thing of the past. Bees bring wonderful fruits and vegetables to our lives.

If you’re bored this weekend, learn a little about bees. They’re pretty fascinating little animals. Please remember, they need our prayers. Have a wonderful weekend.

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No Tee Time Thanks to Our Bee Hive

It takes a lot for any man to cancel his tee-time with family and friends. That’s just what happened yesterday, as HHH continues to heal from a dozen bee stings. After a very quiet weekend, he continues to heal but it’s slow going.

Saturday morning, I woke up to a very swollen husband. With a sting above the eyebrow, his eye was swollen shut. His biceps resembled PopEye’s. The sting sites itched like crazy. HHH was poisoned with venom.

Oy. Vey.

I asked multiple times if a trip to ER was necessary. Each time the answer was “NO”. I watched his breathing as he napped throughout the day as the swelling stabilized. He’s been one sick husband.

Throughout this ordeal, the thought of living without bees is not yet a consideration. Rule #1 — Always suit up. This rule was ignored during an invasive procedure. The bees did what they do and HHH paid the price. We may change our minds, but for now, the bees stay.

It must be hard for some to understand. The calming affect the bees have on us on most days is amazing. To watch their little society of 50,000 individuals working together for the good is awe inspiring. Right now, they’re struggling a bit to establish themselves, but they haven’t given up. Last Friday, they defended the hive and HHH was in the way.

With home remedies of Advil for the swelling, and Benadryl and Hydrocortisone Cream for the itching, HHH is healing. Days later, he’s still not back to normal, but improves every day.

While couch bound, HHH and I had time to sit and watch the electric changes in our country. If you blink, you might miss something major. With time to really listen to coverage from BOTH the left and right, I realized this.

Over the past eight years, I’ve forgotten what it means to REALLY listen and consider different points of view. A simple-minded person will jump on any band wagon and cheer for the winning team. With blinders on, it’s easy to plant a flag and die on a hill, even if you haven’t heard a word the leader has said.

Same thing when slinging arrows. It’s a mob mentality when people accept rumors as the truth. We are so much better than that.

It should come at no surprise that I live on the right side of politics. I’ve never owned a Nazi flag or a white robe. I collect guns I don’t intend to shoot very often. I love our beautiful country. I want the best for every CITIZEN. The American Dream brought my ancestors from the grips of truly evil dictators. Many of my ancestors were sent to die in the REAL Siberia. I support the idea of MAGA which means Make America Great Again. Right now, America is struggling. We need great new ideas. We’re in trouble.

Just as the angry bees died before they could realize HHH was one of the good guys, many of us have lost relationships without ever listening to a candidate speak for more than a few soundbites. Not good. Any person is much more than some edited clips. There ARE reporters that can cover stories fairly on BOTH sides of the aisle. Again, we just need to flip the channels and take time to listen to what is being said.

I challenge you to find a candidate you really dislike and listen closely to one speech. Just one. From start to finish. Look for signs of Nazi flags or hate speech in the crowd. Look for the tone and cadence of the speaker. Look and judge for yourself. You may find you’ve been sold a bill of goods. While doing this, please remember that NO ONE deserves to be shot by an assassins’ bullet. No One.

This is the most important political season of our lifetime. When you choose your candidates, make sure to listen to words of your leaders carefully. Watch their actions. Consider both sides. Make your best decision based on facts, not personalities. Our country depends on it.

Whatever you do today, enjoy the great outdoors. If you see bees, watch before you run. Run, don’t swat. And follow Rule #1. Always suit up for the job.

More tomorrow.