It is with a droopy tail that I announce that after 7 years of beekeeping this summer my hives will remain empty. We made this difficult decision after the series of unfortunate events these past few years. It began in 2020 when we experienced a colony collapse, which is basically a fancy way of saying after having a hive autopsy done, our fellow beekeepers don’t know why the Honey Bees all died. Then after being fortunate enough to attract a colony of wild bees into our hives, they were ransacked by raccoons later that summer, and did not have adequate time to recoup their losses before winter. The following year in 2021, we were on track with healthy thriving hives, that is until an even bigger foe attacked – our neighborhood bear! Thanks to a malfunctioning electric fence, he was able to gain access. Despite valiantly fighting him off and keeping the damage minimal compared to the raccoons, my Honey Bees never really recovered, and were too weak to survive the winter despite our best efforts to help them. Then finally last year, after the death of their Queen, and having a new one assume power, she decided she didn’t like my Chuck BEEly hive and they swarmed in October. This is why this year we have decided to be empty hivers.

However, this is NOT the end to Asa and I being beekeepers! We are simply taking a break this summer to regroup and make improvements to our little apiary. We have learned from our mistakes, and there are some things we can improve. First off, we plan to do a thorough cleaning of the hives, replacing worn and damaged frames, and perhaps even building new boxes. Second, we will slightly relocate the hives to a sunnier area, while also ensuring they are sheltered from the winter winds. Third, we will install a better electric fence system to hopefully keep the critters away. Fourth, we plan to make our yard even more hospitable by planting a variety plants that bloom at different times of the season to give our Honey Bees a more balanced offering of pollen from the early spring to the late autumn. This way they may not feel the need to fly farther afield into areas where known pesticides are being used. Paws crossed with these improvements, by next year our hives will be buzzing with activity once again!

Chuck BEEly bees will be back bigger and better than ever! Well maybe not this big. But they WILL be back! Just not this summer…