Beekeeping is a hobby that is endlessly fascinating. Go to any gathering and if the conversation reaches a lull, just mention something about bees. People are intrigued by these organisms which actually are a super-organism, existing as an interdependent colony. What fun I have had going to elementary schools wearing my bee suit with my smoker and hive tool and a jar of live bees to--carefully- pass around! How delightful it is to carry around tiny labelled honey bears in my purse that I can give away! It is exciting to harvest gallons of honey in the summer. It is humbling to try to figure out what has gone wrong if a hive does not survive the winter or if it is not thriving. I have been delighted by observing the bees on and around their hive early in the morning in the early summer when the bees are focused on the honey flow-- collecting nectar and pollen from the flowers for their current needs and storage for winter. Catching swarms is always an unexpected surprise! As soon as a swarm is discovered, I have to work fast to capture and place it in its own hive before the swarm flies off in a beeline to a new hollow location to start its own hive. In these Honey Letters, I discuss many of the experiences we have had as beekeepers over the last few decades. You will quickly realize that we use our Honey Letters as Christmas cards as well so there is some mention of our family or other activities on our farm. We also have included some links to videos we have made about our bees. We here at Cedar Run Bees hope you enjoy this website and consider beekeeping as a hobby for yourselves!
