I've decided the world would be a better place if we were more like honeybees.
Graceful in flight.
Honeybees work together for the good of the whole hive (unlike most humans, who work against each other and are managing to destroy the planet.) These girls are fanning vigorously to cool the hive and remove moisture from the curing honey inside.
The girls who couldn't fit on the front decided to do their bit on the side of the hive! Not sure how helpful it is, but bless them, they try. Honeybees fan their wings like this to help evaporate moisture from the honey until it reaches the perfect moisture content, around 16 - 18%. Then it's ready to be capped with wax, at which point the human is ready to steal it from them!
We've had excellent honeybee weather this summer, unlike the dismal, wet summer of 2009. My beehives are literally hives of activity! We should all work as hard for the common good as these girls do.
The bee flying in the centre has a load of pollen in the basket ("corbicula") on her rear leg. It's that yellowish blob up near her body.
The green leaves are mint. I have several varieties planted around the hives.
The dogs know to keep a respectful distance when I am near the beehives! But anywhere else in the garden, Sophie (r) devotes herself to trying to catch and eat bees of every description. I think she has been stung in the mouth so many times that she doesn't even react anymore!
This is my D. E. hive, of British design. It has lots of passive ventilation. My beekeeping mentor thinks we're slightly nuts for having bought this hive, but I've noticed that when it's stinking hot, there is far less "bearding" on this hive than on my traditional Langstroth hive...
Last year, before I moved the hives to this spot, I had sunflowers growing here, and a few self-seeded and sprouted up this spring. The bees don't seem to mind. It gives them a little bit of shade and a handy pollen source.
The women do all the work in the beehive. The drone's (male bee) sole job is to go out, meet up with other drones at the drone congregation area, and mate with Queenie in a bit of an orgy! Unfortunately, he dies in the process, a horrifying event in which the drone's bee-winky (not the technical term for that appendage) breaks off inside the queen. Drone-boy then falls to ground, disembowelled and quite dead! That said, I suspect our man died happy.The drone has no stinger and is incapable of looking after himself -- he can't even feed himself! If there are any drones left lazing about the hive in the late summer/fall, they are summarily booted out and left to die. Think of them as furry little husbands lazing about on the couch, drinking beer and eating Doritos (the honeybee snack-food equivalent would be nectar and pollen), until the little missus finally gets fed up and changes the locks! Sex and Doritos: to a man, I mean, drone, that's what life is all about!
(Sorry Gordon, you know I'm just teasing!)
I'm quite fond of drones. They are big and hairy and fuzzy, with huge eyes and no ability to hurt me. It's fun to pick them up and let them crawl on your hand, but don't try that until you're sure what a drone looks like!
Honeybees are amazing! Do your best not to hurt them. I love my girls (and the fuzzy boys) to bits.
