To Bee Or Not To Be
☆ April 8, 2011
My best friend emailed me this video trailer with the note,
“Dude, we need to become beekeepers.”
We all need to!!
more at www.queenofthesun.com
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35 Responses to “To Bee Or Not To Be”
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April 8th, 2011 @ 12:03 pm
I let some marjoram “loose” in my garden many years ago and the bees love it in the fall when it blossoms. I go out and stand quietly and suddenly it’s apparent that the garden is literally buzzing and moving with all kinds and sizes of bees. It’s my little part to give the locals bees something to eat.
April 8th, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
It’s on my to-do list for as soon as I’ve got a patch of dirt of my own. In the meantime, I just encourage people to let the first run of dandelions grow, since those are an important early food source for bees. They can always be mowed after they close up to start making seeds.
April 8th, 2011 @ 12:21 pm
Hi, Shreve, and all the usual posters,
I’m sorry to say our firewall here at work won’t let me view the video, but if your friend’s note means what I think it means, then, yes, we should all become bee-keepers if we can.
Even though the cause of colony collapse disorder is now known, it took years of investigation to get that far, and there is still no viable treatment or preventive. That means colonies world-wide are still collapsing.
If we lose the bees, we lose every flowering plant we have; that means losing most fruits and vegetables. The humble bee is responsible for much of this planet’s food and we’ll be in pretty dire straights without bees and their work.
Millions of bees, in their hives, are trucked all over the country (and the rest of the world) every year in time to pollinate each rotating fruit and vegetable crop. If the bees die off, the crops fail for lack of fertilization. And fail for good; there is no viable substitute for bee pollination. And since the problem is world-wide, there are no “safe” bee stocks.
So, if you’re in a position to keep bees, I encourage you to find out how you can help.
I’ll get off my soap-box now.
April 8th, 2011 @ 12:40 pm
i’ve always been enthralled with bees. wonder if i could keep them here in the city…
April 8th, 2011 @ 12:48 pm
I’m a very afraid that that something in those GMO crops Monsanto is contaminating the world with has a contribution to colony collapse.
I am thilled to read about roof top bee keepers in New York. My neighborhood organic nursery has started stocking bee keeping equipment and he has some hives in the back. My yard is to small and overgrown to keep a hive healthy. Perhaps when I get everything cleaned up and maintained.
I have put a bat house on my house. Have no idea if it’s inhabited or will ever be but at least I’ve tried. Bats are also pollinators.
I’ve noticed an increase in butterflies in my garden. Butterflies pollinate as do flies and other insects.
But nothing can match the powerhouse of the bee.
My entire yard is organic and I won’t spray. I’m hoping to see more bees this summer.
April 8th, 2011 @ 12:50 pm
I have been trolling this site, learning as much as I can: http://topbarbees.wordpress.com/
It makes beekeeping sound so simple -which I’ve no doubt it is, as long as it’s done with care.
hello haha narf:
It varies from city to city, but from what I understand, they’re remarkably quiet and easily kept hidden. If you have good neighbours, it’s best to let them know and that it’s safe and for the rest, keep quiet yourself and reap the benefits.
April 8th, 2011 @ 1:05 pm
I have a wild hive nearby that loves my koi pond. They drink for hours from the rocks in the waterfall, and are as gentle as shown in this film. I have total bee-love. Definitely time for a hive or 2.
Thanks for posting, Shreve.
April 8th, 2011 @ 1:27 pm
AWESOME!
April 8th, 2011 @ 1:32 pm
There seems to be an inherent fear in us concerning bees. Unfortunately, most people are ignorant of the roll bees play in our everyday lives as the pollinators of the foods we so dearly love to eat! They are seen as just some insect that flits around the garden, flower to flower that can sting you! Dangerous!
My neighbor had a large migrating colony of bees land high up in one of his trees, it was a glorious sight to see and something they do when looking for a new home. They were peaceful and tranquil. The neighbor was terrified and was worried that they might be “killer bees”. I tried to reassure him that they were not and if he was worried to call a local bee keeper that would be more than happy to come collect them. The next day he killed the entire group with toxic spray! “you just can’t be too careful” was his answer to my terful “why?” and that is how alot of people feel about them. We need to educate our children so that this fear is replaced with care and appreciation and cultivate more sustainable living practices! Sorry for any misspelled words! Cheers, ~A~
April 8th, 2011 @ 1:56 pm
Heh, I was stung by a bumblebee yesterday while pruning in my sister’s garden; later I realized I had been warned away from the colony. I’m not allergic, and was relieved to find that the bee hadn’t died from stinging: bumblebee stingers aren’t barbed.
There are many wild bee colonies on my family’s ranch: they nest in the hollows left when oak trees lose a big limb. They’ve probably been hit with CCD too, but there still seems to be a good number.
Thanks for the link, Shreve.
April 8th, 2011 @ 3:57 pm
I am a beekeeper ( with my sister) and began keeping them for all of the fine and important reasons mentioned already here….and I use their wax in my art, as the carving medium for the jewelry I create, hoping to bring some attention to their plight….you are right Theresa, colony collapse and the pollution of our environs is still a big issue…no bees, no food….such small wonders that do so much for us…..I love them!.
April 8th, 2011 @ 3:58 pm
As a nation, and as a world, we need to love bees and not fear them or be apathetic about protecting their environment. Part of this is making sure that we keep things natural for them. There’s a lot to this issue. I know we are importing bees and don’t know how this will affect our native domestic breed of bees which have diminished. We just need to love creation and respect it and not spray poisons on it. I hate that we spray poison and kill thousands of birds. Do we think that this will not impact other species?
Everyone needs to nurture these tiny workers. I’m happy to see this video to make us aware of their current plight. I love bees.
April 8th, 2011 @ 4:13 pm
We have a Sonoran garden . . . very busy with bees. They love the Palo Verde blooms, palm blooms, Ocotillo, Almond, and all the citrus blossoms as well. I put up a bee board, but have not been successful in attracting them. I agree that bees are wonderful creatures!
April 8th, 2011 @ 4:37 pm
I am working on acquiring at least 3 boxes – you should do it!
April 8th, 2011 @ 5:26 pm
About 14 years ago at a previous job in Princeton, some bees started setting up shop right near the entrance to our workplace. We didn’t know what kind they were (I do now!!) but given the swarm, we called a beekeeper.
A rather gnarled elderly man showed up and thanked us for not getting out a can of raid – because these were honeybees. I was fascinated. I stood outside with him in the middle of the swarm while my coworkers stayed inside, their noses pressed against the glass to watch us. The hum they made was so beautiful, it made me want to cry. It was a very nice day, so the bees didn’t feel like going into the box he brought, but he said that by the time he’d return that evening, that every last bee would be in that box.
He had me hold out a hand and laid a branch laden with bees in my palm and across my forearm. They crawled on me then leisurely flew away.
It was one of the most magical moments of my life. I always wished that someday, maybe, if I have a real house and a little space, I could be a beekeeper. I really loved them.
April 8th, 2011 @ 8:28 pm
Here in Arizona we have had some bee mishaps. Around Phoenix we have bee colonies that are mixed with the killer bees. People and animals have been attacked in their own yards and there have been deaths. I’ve do gardening all the time around bees and as long as I’m calm I haven’t had an issue. Bees and wasps are natures helpers. I hate to see an imbalance of mother earth.
April 8th, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
Could not agree more. Been keeping bee-friendly flowers on my balcony for awhile now, and pretty soon my sister will have a hive, we hope! (She has a half-acre in Montana.) Let’s bring the population back! :)
April 8th, 2011 @ 9:37 pm
Getting ready to be beekeepers……as our bees will arrive April 20th. Excited!
April 9th, 2011 @ 12:59 am
I’ve never written, but I’m always fascinated by the subtle and not-so-subtle parallels between our interests and life. I’ve followed your site for some time and it makes me smile. And it makes me know myself better.
I’ve never had the opportunity to ‘rescue’ my dairy cow, as you have, but I did learn I could keep bees living in urbania. I think bees would appeal to your sense of order; love of numbers (bees are intrinsically mathematical); connection to the earth, seasons, and sprouting things; and especially the mystic: bees are incredibly spiritual.
I’ll enjoy reading about them, if you do. Maybe apitherapy can coexist with an EMT-B :)
April 9th, 2011 @ 7:46 am
I have friends that keep bees. I for years have planted Buckwheat in fallow gardens. Bees love it and it makes a wonderful dark honey. I planted it to help with the pollination of my vegetable garden and really increased the yield. I also found planting New Zealand white Clover in the pathways between the rows in the garden and it kept down weeds and when tilled under in the fall re-built the soil and again the bees loved it. Another great plant is Borage, I plant that with my Tomato plants and double the yeild. Borage flowers are edible and are great frozen in ice cubes for drinks. It tastes like cucumber! I also plant Morning Glorys the bees love it but the Humming Birds try to drive me from the garden!
I have at least 8 vareties of Bumble Bees working the place and several wild hives of honey bees. I also have several colonies of ground bees, they are my harbinger of spring. They appear when the Maple trees bloom, and pollinate them. The ground bees ar about 1/2 the size of a house fly, are sting less and have colonies not hives. Each has their own little burrow but clump together. Fun to watch. By late spring they are gone, they lay their eggs, leave some pollen in the hole, then seal it up. The young emerge the next spring.
Plant for the Bees, Humming Birds and the Butterflies! Stay away from sterile grass lawns. It will enrich your life!
April 9th, 2011 @ 8:47 am
“Zey can brush my muztache. Zey like!”
That guy is my hero.
Also, I want to be a beekeeper. Wouldn’t it be fun to care for such amazing little critters, jar up your own honey, make your own wax candles… ahhh. Sigh of longing. :)
April 9th, 2011 @ 1:30 pm
I have a love/hate relationship with bees, in that I mildly allergic to them and can’t seem to go near a hive without pissing them off, but want to support them.
Like other posters, I plant flowers and flowering crops (tomatoes, rosemary, etc.) on my small apartment patio (yes, even in the city you can support bees!) to provide nourishment for the little guys and encourage them and other awesome pollinators like butterflies and moths to come visit.
There is a huge movement here in the Pacific Northwest to plant “butterfly gardens” or “native gardens” that are not only easier to maintain with less watering and more natural resistance to pests, but also support biodiversity from plants to bugs to birds to us!
April 9th, 2011 @ 2:46 pm
I plant herbs and flowers as well as tomatoes on our back porch here in Chicago. Every year we have bumblebees that come to feed off the purple and red flowers. They seem to particularly like purple (and blue as well).
Sometime I hope to have more of a garden where I can plant more and attract more butterflies, bees and perhaps hummingbirds.
And, by the way, last month sometime I believe it was, there was a video on the White House site about their bee hives and beekeeping. The White House makes its own honey now. They said this is a first for the President’s house, though Washington kept hives at his home before there was a White House.
April 9th, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
S. great post and replies, very interesting read. The video made me sad! esp. since I was already aware of recent high mortality in bee hives across the country. I just love dogs and seeing the border collie sheep dog in the video reminded me of this, a very amusing short video about a ‘useless dog’.
http://youtu.be/pkmsFGhrQo4
People in agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry (what a funny word) rock !
April 9th, 2011 @ 11:31 pm
Can’t wait to see this, and also this:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/borntobewild/
April 10th, 2011 @ 9:21 am
We have bees and love the honey but we also need to concentrate on the native bee. That bee does not produce honey but does pollinate. The best thing to do is to plant pollinator friendly gardens. Of course that’s different for each area of the US. I heard an entomologist speaking the other day and he said that Arizona alone has something like 50 species of native bees. Our local nursery is starting to carry native bees so that you can bring them into your yards as well. No upkeep!
And then our local bee guru is really focused on getting bees locally as well. That means catching swarms. When you do that, your bees are acclimated to your area. Especially important in locations with more challenging weather. Just my two cents…happy beekeeping!!
April 10th, 2011 @ 12:26 pm
I like the peaceful little bees, but darn those hornets and wasps. Why do I always get THOSE? And why are they always so close to my house? Frustrating.
April 10th, 2011 @ 5:38 pm
I’d rather encourage the native pollinators. I can’t wait until I can afford my own home so I can have a garden.
April 10th, 2011 @ 11:23 pm
Shreve– I’d like to thank you for posting this trailer. Without this post, I wouldn’t have spur-of-the-moment invited all of my friends to see it with me. :) It was fate: it was at a theater about an hour or two away, tomorrow night, and about beekeeping (something I’ve always wanted to do). Now, after seeing this film, I feel more and more driven to own bees.
So thank you, for sharing! I think you are unaware of how much of a positive influence you are on me. You make my life beautiful, even just by posting movie trailers.
April 12th, 2011 @ 4:01 am
Happy Birthday Shreve !! good fortune to you forever more.
April 12th, 2011 @ 10:35 am
Hi Shreve! I saw this item on the IKEA website & thought of Charlie & you!….
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80144599
PS: LOVE Lilla Flicka!
April 12th, 2011 @ 12:26 pm
Just saw the film last night. It’s a real eye-opener. Everyone should see it. Thanks for spreading the word.
April 15th, 2011 @ 1:19 am
Consider putting out a few houses for native bees and bumble bees as well. They can use some help too.
April 18th, 2011 @ 10:42 am
I caught the bug… err buzz? last year and took a beekeeping course in February… my bees should arrive towards the end of May & I can’t wait! :) We’re planning on having a showing of Queen of the Sun this fall.
April 20th, 2011 @ 8:33 pm
I LOVED this and showed it to my fiend, who literally said the same thing as yours. I am desperate to see this now, and I do think it’s really important and great that somebody is finally acknowledging the problems that has arisen in the dwindling bee population.
Thanks for showing us!