My honeybees are alive and well
There's been much disturbing news in recent years about honeybees and something called Colony Collapse Disorder, where seemingly healthy bees suddenly disappear, abandoning their hives. I am happy to report that my beehives are so far very healthy. In fact, we just harvested the honey and had a very nice yield.
Here is some interesting information about honeybees:
I raise honeybees not only for the delicious honey they produce, but also because these busy creatures assure me of a bountiful harvest by pollinating my fruits and vegetables. Honeybees are in search of nectar, the sweet fluid produced by flowers. The worker bees drink the nectar and take it back to their hive. The nectar is passed along to the "house bees" who mix it with special enzymes and place it into honeycomb cells. The open cells are fanned by the bees' wings to evaporate any water, and miraculously, honey is formed. The cells are capped with beeswax, storing the honey for winter food.
A worker bee visits hundred of flowers each day in its quest for nectar. Along the way, pollen sticks to the hairs on its body. Bees have special basketlike groups of hairs on each of their hind legs and they move the pollen grains there. Pollen is the bees' source of protein and is essential to feed the queen and the larvae in the hive. Of course, some of the pollen drops from the bee as it flies from flower to flower, and plant pollination occurs. Little honeybees are diligently feeding and caring for their population, and in doing so, they are absolutely essential to our food supply.
More from marthastewart.com
Sweet and Savory Honey Recipes
Been a long time since I have see any bees buzzing around our plants and flowers here in California and I live in vineyard country, to see colored butterflies besides white ones has been ages. Good to see your bees coming back in numbers after recent years of decline. We have a few places here that have honeybees and fresh honey but so rare even at our farmers market.
Pam from California
Posted by: Pam from California | October 1st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I'm happy to hear your bees are healthy. I have an aunt in Virginia who recently took up beekeeping as a hobby. The bees in her two Langstroth hives are healthy and the honey, I recently learned, is delectable. Here are pictures from when master bee keeper Pat Haskell came to help my aunt evaluate her hives: http://picasaweb.google.com/ali.c.stafford/Honeybees#
Posted by: alexandra's kitchen | October 1st, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Martha, you are so fearless. I'm terrified of bees. Was there ever a time when you were scared of them? Or were you just born brave?
Posted by: Teresa C. Cordell | October 1st, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Hi Martha, You are so lucky that your fantastic bees are doing so well. I know that you take really good care of them and they certainly do reward you in many ways. I can almost taste that delicious honey and the wonderful crops that you have been harvesting! As Joey would say---ummmmmm! I have one question about bees and their pollen collection. As they travel from one blossom to a different blossom in a tomato patch, etc., how does the right pollen get to the right blossom to produce the tomato? It just seems like a miracle because they have so much different pollen on their legs. Thabks for all of this fantastic information and great photos. I love the one of Sharkey! Is she in training to be a bee herder?! Thanks so much for sharing. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | October 1st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I have been distressed since learning about the terrible disappearance of bees. I adore them and it was scary to not have them around in the garden. I recall a few years ago finding one on our driveway. It looked dead and I picked it up. I saw that it was still alive, so I got a piece of soft cloth and put the bee on it. It was very still and weak. I left it quite safe on our patio and when I returned 90 minutes later it was gone. I'm hoping the bee regained its strength and lived a long, healthy life afterward.
Posted by: Marie | October 1st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I was at your show on Monday and you were amazing, as always! I almost peed my pants when you came out of the test kitchen. And your set is beautiful - of course! Hope you heard my Arsenio Hall-like whooting for you, you're the bomb! I made the Tom Colicchio feast for my whole gang tonight and they loved it. I'll definitely use my left-over polenta for breakfast tomorrow with eggs and sage, per your recipe. You rule Martha, we love you! XOX
Posted by: Shmalex! | October 1st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I've heard that if you have allergies to certain pollens that eating honey produced in your area will help with those allergies. Is there any truth in that or is that an old wive's tale?
Posted by: Jennifer Love | October 1st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Namaste Martha, I'm glad to know that bees seem to be thriving in your area of the country! I've long been facinated with the little creatures, and oh so impressed with their work ethic. Isn't nature a marvel when everything works and is in sync? As a honey lover/user I have worried about CCD, not only from the honey perspective, but also the pollination aspect of our loss of bees in the USA, as well as other areas in the world. I saw a program on PBS re: the loss of bees in China. They were trying to hand pollinate pear trees, if I remember correctly. It's scary to think what could happen to our food supply without our friends, the bees. Keep buzzing!!
Posted by: Frances Jackson | October 1st, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Martha-
That's it, your as busy as a bee! You just do it all girl.
Posted by: Jen | October 1st, 2008 at 10:28 pm
So exciting!
My name is Karen Mowrey and my side art business is named "Blue Bee Designs"...it started as just a fun name based on some blue bees I stamped on some old sheets to make porch pillows with. Now it has escalated to a love of bees and a weekly "Bee Spotting Post" on my blog where I feature great bee art, photos, facts and any interesting tidbit I might find. Next spring we are hoping to bee-come bee keepers ourselves. I plan on linking this post up in my next "bee spotting", if for any reason you would not want that please let me know ASAP.
Here is my "tag" for the fun of it:
I came here and what did I see?
found a post about a bee...
if you don't mind,
I would like the world to see,
a link, a picture, in a post from me!
Smile you have "bee"n spotted! I do a weekly bee spotting post and would like to show you off in my next post, usually every Tuesday. If you wish not to bee featured, let me know ASAP!!
Posted by: Karen Mowrey | October 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 am
I love honeybees! My step-father started keeping them this year -- not his first time, but it is for my mother -- and they are doing very well. I hope we eventually figure out why the bee population is dwindling and can find a solution. Without out our busy friends, the world would not be the same.
If you enjoy bees, Martha, you might like the influence they have in one of my favorite books, "The Secret Life Of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. It's an empowering book and a wonderful read!
Posted by: Kim Wylie | October 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 am
Bees are so fascinating: their social structure, their importance to nature, the honey they yield. They're amazing insects. Certainly the most beneficial to humans.
There is a wonderful book called "The Hive" by Bee Wilson (yes, that's her real name!) that I urge you to read. She's a fellow at Cambridge University and has been the food critic at The Statesman for five years. It's a beautiful, poetic look at how bees live and function.
-Andrew
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | October 2nd, 2008 at 4:37 am
Dear Martha,
I really don't want this posted. I love your show and watch it most everyday.
Please don't brush your bangs out of your face and then go back to handling food. Terry Rowe
Posted by: Terry Rowe | October 2nd, 2008 at 4:56 am
Fascinating post Martha and thanks for the link to your recipes that all look so delicious.
I'm outside pretty much all summer long and now that I think of it, I don't recall seeing many bees. I am always on the lookout because my sister is allergic to their sting. For sure, God's creatures are amazing things and we most definitely can learn a lot from watching them. I love to watch spiders weave their webs. Thanks again and enjoy your day. Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 2nd, 2008 at 5:13 am
wow - that is so interesting. I know I probably learned that stuff in school years ago but had forgotten.
tabitha from http://www.fromsingletomarried.com
Posted by: Tabitha | October 2nd, 2008 at 5:20 am
...what little wonders of nature!...I'm sooooo glad you have this blog today on your bees! I wanted to comment yesterday (Wed, 10/1), after viewing Tuesday's show about beekeeping, but felt it inappropriate to mention yesterday on Paul Newman's tribute blog.
I (especially) loved Tuesday's show! The beekeeping segment left me wanting more information - I was just so fascinated! I hung on to every word, wanting to learn the "lingo" and truly understand the exact process. (It's nothing we don't already know, but you truly teach us, Martha!...) I realized, too, that any small back yard could accommodate at least one hive (hmmmm...my gears are turning...)
(Just bear with me, here...>>) My husband planted a little bed of flowers this summer of "his own", geared toward luring hummingbirds. Yes, we were rewarded with a hummingbird or two, but the bees!...OMGoodness!! One of the plants' genus was agastache, and with our lush rainfall this summer, they grew to about 5' in height! - the blooms were just loaded with all kinds of bees. It was a happy (and busy [or should I say, "buzy"] location all summer.
To me, these are some of the good things in life - things that money (figuratively) can't buy! I think you'd agree too, Martha, that these wonders of/in nature indeed could be some of YOUR "good things"!
I am so grateful to the Lord for this gift of awareness and appreciation for nature! It truly feeds my soul!
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | October 2nd, 2008 at 5:24 am
I never really understood why Bees made honey, thank you for enlightening post!
However, that brings me to another question. If we harvest their winter food for ourselves, what do they eat during that time? Do bee keepers let them die off each year or what? If so, could that be part of the problem?
Posted by: Tim | October 2nd, 2008 at 5:41 am
I never thought about the bees helping with the harvest! Great tip!
Posted by: susieshomemade | October 2nd, 2008 at 5:58 am
Dear Martha,
My husband and son are beekeepers here in Carroll county Md. They also had a good honey harvest. Our four granddaughters just love the whole process, especially when they extract the honey from the supers.
Love you show.
Posted by: JANET HAMMERSLA | October 2nd, 2008 at 6:35 am
Fascinating..thanks for sharing. Sharkey is curious. I love that photo of Sharkey. Yes I can hear the buzz.
Posted by: Teresa Touey | October 2nd, 2008 at 6:41 am
After traveling the country for five months, I know that there are bee hives still doing the job they are intended to do. Many stacks in the fields in the east, west, north and south. Even in Colonial Williamsburg.... good thing too, or we would have no flowers or fruits...
Posted by: jai carney | October 2nd, 2008 at 6:54 am
Bee life is an intricate, fascinating work of nature. I, too, think there are some things money can't buy. My Mother and I enjoyed a nature hunt for purple martins. We had the houses and the proper set up for them, and they came every spring and summer. My Mother was critically ill with acute bronchitus, but she and I together still enjoyed each day. Because she was ill these nature studies helped both she and I to experience many days of delight.Nan
Posted by: Nan Ashby | October 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 am
...fellow blogger Janet Hammersla, I'm located in nearby Washington County!...hi, neighbor!...pleased to meet you!
It's good to hear of your success with your bees! (And) what a wonderful "legacy" for your granddaughters, to help Grandpa and (I assume) Dad with the caretaking of the bees. Memories are d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y being made here for when they're older! (Neatomosquito!)
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | October 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 am
Sharkey better not have been in the middle of the action. I would have laughed to see the photographer decked out in bee gear trying to take a good picture of the bees. That must have been fun and had everyone laughing.
We are not so fortunate and have had severe losses from the empty hive or colony collapse disorder. Tragedy.
Posted by: Margie | October 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
I've always wanted bees. That was a great segment on your show.
Regarding the bees disappearance: last year my daughter found a swarm of bees while walking along a residential sidewalk in town. The bees were slowly crawling on the ground and many were dead. When she arrived home and told me about it I immediately phoned the local extension office so they could go out and investigate. They were very interested to do so.
I noticed this year that I had lots of bees on certain flowering plants like oregano and sea lavender, but my cucumbers, which had probably a thousand blossoms didn't have any bees on them and I got very few cucs this year.
I would like to get my own hives and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for providing such good info on your show.
Posted by: Pam | October 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Oh, I miss buying honey locally.
I really enjoyed this post. And I have also heard that, Jennifer Love.
Posted by: TheCottonWife | October 2nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Hello Martha,
I don't know if you tasted the honey I gave to Becky for you.
It is from our bees in our hacienda.
Hope you are well.
All my best,
Dominique DUNETON
Posted by: Dominique DUNETON | October 2nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
We tried using natural predators in our greenhouse to control the bug population in place of pesticides a number of years back......didn't have much success. One of our employees signed for a couriered package containing 1000's of lady bugs and popped it in my desk without thinking. I didn't find it for many months and by that time the larvae were no longer viable. Too bad
Posted by: Tamara | October 2nd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I am wondering if there are any particular flowers or plants I could grow which would support bees. I am assuming anything that is fruity or flowery will do.
Posted by: mary | October 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Thanks for the information on beekeeping. I have to admit..... I didn't know that much about it. Very interesting, indeed! It got me thinking about doing some beekeeping myself!
Posted by: Carolyn | October 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Martha,
Thanks so much for your blog. I have enjoyed it so much! So happy your bees are doing well especially with all the "buzz" about losing our bees to pollution, pesticides, etc.
I also enjoyed your pics of the changing colors of fall. Here in Az, near Phx, we don't have the color you do back east. I can almost feel autumn in the air because of your beautiful photos. Thanks again! Lorry
Posted by: Lorry | October 3rd, 2008 at 3:55 am
I love your site and looking at your pictures of fall coming to your farm. I live on the West coast of Florida...which may sound nice and in the summer it is....but I MISS THE SEASONS. Keep posting fall pictures for me to ooogle over!! Thanks!!!!
Posted by: Michele | October 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am
My 13 year old wanted bees for her birthday in March... So that is what she received. She had a nice harvest of honey. She has enjoyed working with them.
Posted by: Angela Ford | October 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
My husband and I love your show and the way your love of all that you do shows through. I converted my husband to a Martha follower. You are one brilliant lady. We enjoyed the information and pictures regarding your bees and get so hungry for honey everytime you show it on your television show. We are looking for a place to buy fresh and natural honey. Our space is just too small for our own bee hive. Thank you so much for all your sharing, you are truley an inspiration.
Posted by: Tommie Conner | October 3rd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Martha, Martha, Martha you can do it all, don't you, I'd love to test that sexy honey dripping from your sexy finger, sweet like honey Martha!
Posted by: Alexandre | October 4th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Martha, I admire you so much, so much courage and talent.
Bonnie
Posted by: Bonnie | October 4th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I have the same question, how do we know that we're leaving enough honey to OverWinter the bees?
Jennifer, yes, eating honey works very well to help reduce allergies (the years I haven't eaten it I noticed afterward that I had terrible allergies) but it only really works if you eat honey grown in your own geographic area. Seek out a local honey maker, and they're everywhere including on rooftops in New York City and San Francisco, and then specifically ask for the honey they produce that blends all honeys collected throughout their harvest area.
Thanks Martha, for teaching me the things my mother and grandmother would have taught me, as an original latchkey kid there just wasn't enough time for them to teach me every aspect of homekeeping.
Posted by: Rucy | October 5th, 2008 at 3:07 am
I'm glad to hear your hives haven't succumbed to CCD. I've listened to NPR reports along with a myriad of other reports of hive collapse, financial malady, and global unrest and am glad to hear that there are still restful parts of the world...
Posted by: Matt | October 5th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Enjoying your blog immensely. My annual "Martha Stewart Pumpkin" is soon to make it's appeareance for Halloween. It is one that is polka dotted using a mellon baller. Thank you for the inspiration!
Posted by: Natalie at FL Home Blog | October 5th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Dear Martha would you consider writing a how to keep bees and a how to raise chickens book. I want to pursue these things, but only trust your guidence. thank you
Posted by: tahnia | October 7th, 2008 at 6:06 am