"Bearding" Activity of the Hive I was unable to attend the Greenacres Field Trip experience, and therefore had to take the reflection assignment in a different direction. Last weekend I was back at my parent’s home, and decided to be more open to reflection, and stay cognizant to what I was experiencing while I was inspecting my own personal hive.
To provide a little bit of background around the hive and myself, I got my first beehive because I wanted a dog. In an attempt to highball my parents in the negotiation for a family canine I requested an apiary and was shocked when my parents agreed. Despite my surprise, I never looked back and quickly became fascinated by the intricacy of the insects. Their surprising complexity quickly captured my interest. Once I started, I was hooked. I have read several books about beekeeping over the last 5 plus years, joined a club, and I am always fascinated by how much there is to learn about a seemingly simple little insect. Beekeeping had become a majority of my social media updates, friends I haven’t seen in months always ask “How are the bees?”, but I have never really stopped to question what about the insects I was so fascinated by, and how they became such a large part of my personality. This question was the focus of my reflection as I prepared for a routine hive inspection.
As I prepared to open the hive, I was struck by just how much I had learned over the course of the five years. I can recall back to when I first started keeping bees and everything was new, confusing, and often times intimidating. I would spend nearly an hour preparing for a simple inspection, and now it can be done in under 15 mins. Additionally, I used to be overly afraid of being stung. Being mildly allergic being stung is always more than a minor inconvenience. However, with experience I have learned plenty of techniques to avoid a being stung, and work to keep the hive calm.
Throughout the hive inspection, I continued to be fascinated by the organization of the hive. There were over 30,000 bees in the hive, yet every single one of them has a task and a mission. Additionally, just by listening and looking I was able to observe the mood of the hive and determine the overall level of agitation I was causing. All of these learnings have come with experience. I still learn something new every time I talk with another beekeeper. Everyone has his or her own method and staying in touch with that community has helped me refine my own style.
Although I was disappointed to miss the Greenacres experience, my own reflection has proved valuable. It has given me a new appreciation for all the lessons and values I have acquired over my time as a beekeeper. I have come to realize the impact the bees have had on my personality and life. Being a beekeeper has become part of who I am, I have made friends through it, and being able to check on the bees or just watch them go about their business provides a sense of calm. This has given a new value to the goal of the class to study the wicked problem concerning the honeybees. Addressing this issue facing our pollinators helps ensure others will have the opportunity to experience the bees the way that I have.
To provide a little bit of background around the hive and myself, I got my first beehive because I wanted a dog. In an attempt to highball my parents in the negotiation for a family canine I requested an apiary and was shocked when my parents agreed. Despite my surprise, I never looked back and quickly became fascinated by the intricacy of the insects. Their surprising complexity quickly captured my interest. Once I started, I was hooked. I have read several books about beekeeping over the last 5 plus years, joined a club, and I am always fascinated by how much there is to learn about a seemingly simple little insect. Beekeeping had become a majority of my social media updates, friends I haven’t seen in months always ask “How are the bees?”, but I have never really stopped to question what about the insects I was so fascinated by, and how they became such a large part of my personality. This question was the focus of my reflection as I prepared for a routine hive inspection.
As I prepared to open the hive, I was struck by just how much I had learned over the course of the five years. I can recall back to when I first started keeping bees and everything was new, confusing, and often times intimidating. I would spend nearly an hour preparing for a simple inspection, and now it can be done in under 15 mins. Additionally, I used to be overly afraid of being stung. Being mildly allergic being stung is always more than a minor inconvenience. However, with experience I have learned plenty of techniques to avoid a being stung, and work to keep the hive calm.
Throughout the hive inspection, I continued to be fascinated by the organization of the hive. There were over 30,000 bees in the hive, yet every single one of them has a task and a mission. Additionally, just by listening and looking I was able to observe the mood of the hive and determine the overall level of agitation I was causing. All of these learnings have come with experience. I still learn something new every time I talk with another beekeeper. Everyone has his or her own method and staying in touch with that community has helped me refine my own style.
Although I was disappointed to miss the Greenacres experience, my own reflection has proved valuable. It has given me a new appreciation for all the lessons and values I have acquired over my time as a beekeeper. I have come to realize the impact the bees have had on my personality and life. Being a beekeeper has become part of who I am, I have made friends through it, and being able to check on the bees or just watch them go about their business provides a sense of calm. This has given a new value to the goal of the class to study the wicked problem concerning the honeybees. Addressing this issue facing our pollinators helps ensure others will have the opportunity to experience the bees the way that I have.
