It’s February, and once again, it’s the time of year when we feel
isolated and removed from our bees. It’s been over three
months since we last opened the hives to say, “Hello, little
ladies! How’s everyone doing today?” We can only wonder
what’s going on in there, in that cold and lonely bee box,
whether it’s in your backyard or tucked away in a secluded bee
yard near your summer cabin.
I have to say, it almost feels like a summer fling that has gone
cold. For three quarters of the year, beekeeping is a huge part
of my life, with hive checks twice a week across two yards—two
of the seven days in my week. Whew.
But now, I feel I’ve lost my connection with all 30-40 thousand of
my stinging girlfriends, and when you multiply that by 13 hives,
we’re talking almost 520,000 bees in total. How sad. All I see
are a few unfortunate souls that didn’t make it, sent out of the
hive to their final resting place at the entrance.
Let’s turn this story around.
Valentine’s Day is the highlight of this month, and I’m sure we
all have our perspectives on what it’s really about. Is it a
Hallmark holiday ploy to sell cards, or is there some deeper
meaning behind those mushy, sentimental words? By the way, I
refuse to pay $5.95 for a card.
To me, Valentine’s Day is about the acknowledgment of caring
—whether you’re thanking your mom for all the hugs over the
years, or starting a new relationship by proclaiming your love to
a special person. Caring is the key word here because it’s about
the actions we take when we commit to someone. Just like
mom caring for me the moment I was born.
According to my brother, the surefire way to win over a girl is
through chocolate and flowers. You can take that advice, but be
warned: he’s still trying to land a girl at the tender age of 57.
I think we all know a relationship goes deeper than chocolates
and flowers. It’s about caring. Our wedding vows allude to this…
“for better or worse.” For some, the worse ends the journey; for
others, it’s the thing that drives them forward. But it’s the “better”
that we all really live for—the moments we cherish, from our
wedding day’s first dance to buying a house, to having a child,
or retiring together to enjoy every sunset. And caring, well, that’s
the glue that keeps a relationship strong.
So, at this point, you’re probably wondering, what does this
have to do with beekeeping? Well, this goes back to the first
day you picked up your first bee package. Whether you realized
it or not, you started something that goes well beyond a hobby.
You started a relationship. A relationship that, hopefully, brings
you enjoyment—but not without hard work, worrying for sure,
and with some anxieties mixed in: Am I doing this right? I’ll
never forget seeing my first wax frame being drawn—that was
10 years ago—or harvesting my first honey crop… about 8
bottles at most. These are the “better” moments that make it all
worth it.
As you can see, you’re in a relationship that goes beyond
tinkering with a car. You’re caring for living creatures, and in
return, you get something back from them as well. The
satisfaction of helping them do what they do best, making
honey.
When it comes to February and bees, I almost feel that
something has gone wrong in my relationship. It’s been weeks
since I last saw them on that warm fall day. I’m sure they’re
wondering where I am, just as much as I wonder about them.
There’s no buzzing around the hive, no inspections, no new
brood—at least, not that I can see. But love is in the air, and
with only a few weeks until March, I’m sure my bee relationship
will rekindle, and my bees and I will be an “item” for yet another
year.
It seems appropriate that, since we’ve been talking about
relationships and wedding vows, I should mention a wedding
dance. Now, I have to admit, I’m not much of a dancer. I’m
pretty uncomfortable with my middle-aged white dance moves.
But I can’t deny that I do have fun joining in on the chicken
dance—or more recently, the slow dance that celebrates how
many years of marriage my wife and I have enjoyed so far. 31
years and counting. Let’s change that to the number of years
you’ve enjoyed your beekeeping relationship. Everyone, please
stand up. Let me cue the music.
Okay, for those of you who have enjoyed keeping bees for two
years or less, please sit down. We’ve lost a few. Alright, five
years or less. Ten years or less. Fifteen years, twenty years…
how about thirty years? Forty years? Wow, that’s amazing. Let’s
give them a big hand.