The Girls Are Alright

By Amanda
I was concerned about my bees taking hold in their new environment in West Virginia. Its been severely dry here, with a drought persisting since late May. There’s nary a flower in the pasture since they cut the field for hay, and though there is ample water from nearby ponds, I was concerned that my ladies would not have enough forage to feed themselves, especially in their ‘start up’ phase. But they have been busy-busy-busy — and flourishing. Continue reading →

Bees Along for the Ride

By Amanda
The day finally came when I received my very own bees: however, as I got the bees in DC, and my hive is in West Virginia, this necessitated me transporting them in my little car on a road trip out there. My bee teacher assured me that they would be fine , and that they are tightly wrapped up in their transport box. “And,” he added to assure me, “if any escape, they just crawl up the windows.” Great. Continue reading →

The Secrets of Bees

By Amanda
I’ve always thought bees were mysterious and wonderful. And when I began to pursue my interests in local sustainable farming, I considered bees as probably the smallest animal husbandry option available. Later, when I found out at this year’s Rooting DC garden event that urban beekeeping was possible, I tracked down people and resources. Continue reading →