Meet the Beeks

We established our apiary this year in the spring.  Our mentor, Sarah Denman AKA beekeeper@bee-salty.com sent us this information about beeks...
JUST SOME EXTRA FUN BEE STUFF FOR THE NEW BEEK (that's you!): 
DEFINITION OF A BEEK: Beekeeper + Geek = BEEK (that’s you now!) 
Signs you might be a beek include: thinking over sized heavy white clothing is stylish, giving home made beeswax lip balm to all your friends, noticing all the flowers and thinking how the bees must be loving them, dreaming about bees, all of a sudden having concern about BEE NUCS (not nukes), PLUS telling everyone who wants to know (and even those who don't) about how cool your new bees are! 

Our bees are so cool!  Look what they can do...

This is called "festooning."  Sarah told me this is the way bees measure the space as they are constructing the comb. Math is everywhere! This building phase is an indication of a good nectar flow.  That is encouraging!  Bees collaborate, which is one of the many important things they can teach us.  It is such a gift to be able to open up a hive for an inspection and see so much progress, so much abundance as they prepare their stores for winter. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful mentor.  Here she is giving us our beek orientation on day 1.

We are starting with 2 hives, Apiary A and Beehive B.  I am hoping our students can collaborate to help us come up with names that are a little more awesome sauce.  My intention for linking this to our place based learning is to begin planting year-round food for the bees, building each year on what will thrive in our new hot and cold world.  I am excited to think about planting hedgerows; it makes me feel like I'm living in a Beatrice Potter book.