I went to check on the bees recently, the ones I wrote about a while back. I was wondering if the new season had brought any change to the hive, as the Bee Keeper I consulted earlier had said the hive would shrink as the weather got cooler.
So far, nothing new to report. In fact, those bees looked happier than denuded larks in a thistle patch. They were buzzing about as if their very lives depended on it (and okay, I suppose that is the case) and there was immense activity at the hive. I’ve not met their queen (and don’t really care to, thank-you-very-much), but that chick has one devoted hive, I tell ya.
A neighbor of mine recently had their tree raped (that’s when a tree is butchered instead of pruned). The guys who assaulted the tree found not only an extremely elevated opossum den on their initial inspection, but also a bee hive. And before they’d proceed with the tree’s hack job, they required the homeowner to remove the opossums and eradicate the bees. So the neighbors did just that. I have no idea if the opossums were killed or not, but I do know the bees were exterminated. Not moved, just killed. And these neighbors have a huge vegetable garden that requires pollination. Go figure.
The whole scene broke my heart, as I have immense respect for bees. I’m not super-friendly with possums, but thinking of an entire family being wiped out doesn’t sit too pretty. And as for the tree, well, I’m hoping it will fill in.
Anyhoo, when I went to check on the bees I happened upon a while back, it did my heart good to see they were still doing their thang. Long may they buzz.