About What It Bees Like

"So how did you get into beekeeping?" – A question I get asked a lot. 

I can't really say that there's a definitive moment where I decided I wanted bees. It was more like a gradual fascination and appreciation of them over the years. I can remember drawing them when I was younger as doodles on anything. I can remember learning that honey never expired and thinking is was nature's real gold. I think my personality was more inclined to bees than anything else. As a person in love with order and efficiency–bees are queens. I will say that I started researching them more when I was nearing the end of my college days. I kept seeing mention of the possibility of beekeeping in places like New York (on rooftops actually!). Sometime around then, I decided I wanted bees. This was, of course, after I assessed that my apartment wouldn't let me keep a hive on my balcony.

Fast forward to 2015. I had been planning my order of bees from an apiary near Baton Rouge–And not telling anyone for fear they'd freak out. Eventually I told my family (casually of course since that's a normal thing to mention). To my surprise no one freaked out. It was more...confusion..."Like real bees? That buzz? At your house?"...And on Father's Day (not my idea) I ended up retrieving my first hive. 

Since then I've acquired a second hive from a local beekeeper that caught a swarm. We've been buzzing ever since. 

My first honey harvest was terrifying (only to me–the bees didn't care). I live streamed it, as is the custom of today (and also in case I died). Over time I learned that bees are every bit as amazing as I thought. I love watching the hive entrance and trying to see flight patterns and "gps dances" (a flight dance to alert other bees where food is). Personally, I think it's hilarious to watch them fan the hive with pheromones to help bees find their way home. It looks like they're twerking hahaha..But in all seriousness, bees are amazing and they're vital. I still have so much to learn, but it's something worth doing. So as long as I can manage helping hives I intend to.

Shae Thomas
What It Bees Like Beekeeper
www.WhatItBeesLike.com

//Follow the hive on Facebook.