4 thoughts on “So, this is what we do every evening now, at least for a few minutes, sit outside and watch our girls.”
Do you talk to them as you sit and watch? When I was a child we lived next door to an old countryman who had three hives. He taught me that you should always greet the bees politely, go and visit them when you have important news, and let them know when you’re going away and when you come back. Mind you, this was in the depth of the English countryside in the early 1960s, so perhaps the bees were a bit short of other interests!
I remember seeing that in a costume drama. And yes, we do talk to them, but mainly when we inspect, like “You have to move now, girl, so I can put the frame back in.” I love the idea of greeting and sharing news.
I believe that in the old days, a new bride and groom would go to the hives to make their bow and curtsey, but of course, that was centuries ago. A pretty tradition, though!
The Byrd and the Bees 
Do you talk to them as you sit and watch? When I was a child we lived next door to an old countryman who had three hives. He taught me that you should always greet the bees politely, go and visit them when you have important news, and let them know when you’re going away and when you come back. Mind you, this was in the depth of the English countryside in the early 1960s, so perhaps the bees were a bit short of other interests!
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I remember seeing that in a costume drama. And yes, we do talk to them, but mainly when we inspect, like “You have to move now, girl, so I can put the frame back in.” I love the idea of greeting and sharing news.
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I believe that in the old days, a new bride and groom would go to the hives to make their bow and curtsey, but of course, that was centuries ago. A pretty tradition, though!
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Definitely. We should revive it?!
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