Backyard Beekeeper
Urban beekeeping
We’re finally seeing some nice weather, and it’s fascinating what people get up to when they can go outside again. One of my favorite neighbors has a new passion … beekeeping. Although this picture was taken through the window, it wasn’t because of safety concerns; I just happened to see her and didn’t want to miss the shot. The bees are as gentle and self absorbed as tiny kittens. This particular box design is meant to more accurately mimic how they would nest in the wild … because it is a trough, with varying shapes and sizes of spaces inside, the bees can choose the shapes and sizes of their cells.
Unlike a Langstrom box, the trough allows for varied cell shape and size
One theory is that mites have adapted to attack the size and shape of the cells in the traditional square boxes, called Langstrom boxes. The trough, because the cells are not uniform throughout, allows the hive to withstand a mite infestation and fight them off.
Hanging out in this tiny back yard is just like being in any yard … the only bees that are obvious are the few coming and going at the door to the hive. But as soon as it starts to rain, you realize how many of these invisible little workers there are as they come streaming home to get out of the wet. They rise from the grass, they fall from the trees. They come in at speed from every direction, swerving smoothly around us as if we were rocks in a stream.
A lovely addition to the neighborhood, and I can’t wait to try honey made from the flowers I see every day.
