Honey Bees

This is where our honey comes from.

I was out and about in the truck when I happened to pass by the local farm where we get our honey.  All of the bees are snug inside.  Only a few adventuresome types sneak out on really warm days to take a short flight over to the pond.  But even though there was no way I would get stung - and kill the bee in the process - I opted to take this pic from the safety of our truck.

No need for unnecessary risk!

I always thought it would be so cool to have bee hives.  I pictured myself strolling out to them with a cute little honey harvesting basket in one hand and an offering of flowers for the bees in the other.  I would open the hive, pull out a comb, and serve fresh honey on the breakfast table.

Just a few problems with that.  First, I am allergic to bees - poke me with an epi allergic to bees.  Second, since we make a point of getting older plants here at the manor, most of them do not use European honey bees for pollination - they use native pollinators.  There just wouldn't be a lot of food for them and they would most likely start flying over to the neighbors.  Third, even though I know my neighbors are big fans of the honey bee and supporting its' habitat - I don't think they are ready for a swarm of bees to visit them on their patio.

Of course, I'm open to change.  So if there is a way to resolve these problems I will definitely rethink getting hives for the backyard.  In the meantime, I'm glad to shop for my honey at the market.

There is a myth that if you buy your honey from local bees it really helps your allergies.  The debunking of the myth says that since the bees harvest pollen from flowers, not from trees, weeds and grass, there is no "peer reviewed" proof or logic that this is true.

Maybe it is mind over matter?  I'll keep buying local honey.  Even if it doesn't help my allergies, it certainly helps our local economy.