Bee Thankful

As Thanksgiving is upon us, I found myself reflecting on our bees. It was about a year ago that thoughts of bees first entered our discussions as a family. I’m so thankful our family took this adventure on together. Without the support of each other I don’t think our apiary would have ever taken shape to successfully house two hives. Two hives that lived and thrived to produce forty pounds of golden goodness that we have been able to enjoy share with so many people. I’m hopeful our bees survive winter and we’re able to continue the success into next year. 

Beyond the bees, we have met so many wonderful people…first and foremost, our bee mentor. He truly has been a blessing and I’m so grateful to not only have him as a mentor but also, now, as a friend to our family. The connections we have found beyond bees extend to people we both know. I’ve learned that I am not the only one that thinks very highly of him – it’s become obvious that he is known and loved by many. Without the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association, we’d never have been paired with our mentor. This organization provides a lot of support to new beekeepers and I hope to become more involved with all they have to offer in the years to come. Then, there are the individuals at Isabees. I’ve spent a lot of time in the store and have really enjoyed getting to know fellow beekeepers that work and shop there. The countless conversations and stories have added value to my days and it’s been a lot of fun to share a hobby with so many neat people. Finally, there’s the friends and family we’ve been able to share honey with…we appreciate you and your support. So many ask and inquire about how the bees are doing, it’s fun to share our adventures with others. I also feel like they, too, are rooting for the bees because free honey just tastes better than any honey you buy in the store! 

As for the bees, I’m hoping they are tucking in tight for winter. We have one more mite treatment coming up and some possible winter feeding as needed. If all goes well, they will welcome spring like many of the rest of us in a few months. But until then, I’ll be trying to not worry too much about them freezing or starving to death. We will keep you posted.

We and the bees wish you a very blessed Thanksgiving Day…may we all find a few things to be very thankful for.  

Photo courtesy of: https://thehobbeehive.com/

-Worker Bee 2021