This past Sunday at Gardenerd HQ we said goodbye to our bees. We’ve kept bees for 12 years now, but when the hubby went into anaphylaxis after being stung in April of 2024, we knew we had to change directions.
It took several months to find a new home for our bees. The right situation didn’t appear until recently: a fellow beekeeper with a client who had a lot of open space away from other houses.
We’ve stewarded several colonies over the past 12 years, all feral, each with their own personality. Some were docile, some were more assertive. We’ve been stung by some bees for no reason, and left alone by others while working right next to the hive.
Before giving them up, we wanted one last honey harvest. So earlier this month, we added an escape board, took off a super, and processed about 2.5 gallons of honey. The 2024 vintage has hints of caramel and spice. We shall savor it while we can.
Hubby is getting immuno-therapy shots to become resistant to bee venom, and someday we’ll pick up beekeeping again when we know he is safe. For now, he carries epipens, and we plan to revamp the corner of the garden where the hive used to sit, to make use of the space.
Change is inevitable. As gardeners we experience this every season, year after year. Moving on isn’t giving up. It’s just a shift in a different direction.
