The past month has been hard. We have a new dog who takes a lot of my attention and time.  Trying to find the time to make sure we continue to document the bees has been challenging.  On top of that, losing our first hive has been tough to go through. 

Loss in any form is not a good feeling. But knowing that the hive was robbed to death produces a particular feeling of guilt. I know it happens to most new (and plenty of experienced) beekeepers, but it doesn't lessen the blow.

Bees are self sustaining. They are a community that works together to prepare for hard times. Sometimes, no matter how often you tend to the hive or feed and ensure robbing behavior is dealt with immediately, you lose the hive.

So what have I learned throughout the first summer and fall with the bees, being married and with a new family addition?  Patience. I have learned patience.  Patience with my husband, patience with my pup and patience with myself.  

So for now, I practice patience. This winter will bring experimentation with some lip balms and hand creams, but not with bees wax

Hopefully this spring will prove fruitful for the remaining hive. So much so that we might be able to split the hive and start anew with a second one. Many of you have been asking for samples of honey. Unfortunately, the remaining hive made enough for themselves to live this winter. We don’t have the bounty we’d hoped for. So we will ask again in the spring who would like a sample. And if the ladies deem conditions right, we'll patiently wait for them to allow us to taste their handiwork.

But for now, we practice patience. It will be a long winter.

Thanks for listening to me buzz!

~The Beekeeper's Wife