Yesterday
I was treated to a fascinating treatise on the life and times of honeybees in
Galveston. The Retreat Center at Seaside
is built up on pilings, so there are numerous points where beams have large
gaps between them. Several years ago one
of the groups staying there helped us out by installing insulation and plywood
decking on the underside of the building.
The result was apparently a perfect habitat for honeybees.
They
began several months ago, scoping out the perfect spot for the colony to roost
and build a hive. It didn’t take them
long to settle on a spot right above the water faucet, about eight or ten feet
above ground. And so began the Saga of the
Seaside Bee Factory. The hive took root sometime
back in the mid to late summer of this year, and it has been thriving ever
since. In spite of the growing numbers,
we have only had one report of a bee sting.
That was from a junior high boy who was rinsing off his feet at the
hydrant. We’re not sure if that was all
he was doing with the water hose, though.
I know if I was a junior high boy – and I have some experience in that
area (In fact, some have said I am kind of
stuck there) – handing me a water hose was an all-out invitation to a water
fight. Anyway, besides that one
incident, we have managed to stay on good terms with the colony. We started looking for someone to purge it
from the premises a month or two ago. We
went through four or five different people. Some said they would do it for free, but couldn’t
work out their schedules. One guy was
late for his appointment and then the lady who met him said he was kind of
scary to be around. We finally settled on
this fellow after a sterling review from one of the volunteer guys.
And
this guy was apparently the guru of bee keepers in the area. He teaches bee keeping classes. He sells bee keeping supplies. He even works with labs in Illinois and
Louisiana to develop hybrid queens. Pretty
impressive resume. At his initial
inspection he made an estimate based on “around eight hive parts.” I had no idea what that meant at the time,
but when he suited up and squirted some smoke (just like in the movies) and pulled down some decking he discovered
that the hive had already expanded across some beams and into one of the larger
spaces. There were well over 40,000 bees involved, and the hive was suddenly double
what he first expected. And as he
uncovered more and more the actual tally went from just eight hive parts to
27. More than three times the size he
first thought.
As
one guy slowly vacuumed up the bees into the box and handed down a hive section
to his partner (He did get stung a few
times, even wearing his outfit. Jim and I
kept our distance), the partner came over and explained to us some of the finer
points of bee hives. The white area was
pure honey. Beautiful to look at and scrumptious
to eat. The next level was somewhat
darker. This area contained a lot of
pollen. He told us that the bees took a
little of the pollen and a little of the honey, mixed them together, and made
honey bread to feed the growing babies.
Not sure how scientific that explanation was, but it was interesting. So the second layer, with the pollen mixed
with honey, could still be eaten, but the pollen made the honey taste a little
bitter. It was best to mash up that
section of the comb, strain it and just use the honey. Little different taste, still good. The final section of the comb was almost
entirely black. This one had all the baby
bees in it, and from the looks of it, the queen was certainly prolific. He told us because of the incredible habitat
we had provided them with, if we hadn’t done something when we did, that the colony
would have more than doubled by Spring, at which point they would really become
active. Something along the lines of “You
ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” I really
appreciated him taking the time to do all that explaining.
As
a result of all of those “unexpected’s,” it took much longer than
expected. I cringed when he gave us a
final total of his costs. It wasn’t three
times his initial estimate. And he did
give us a considerable discount, but it was still more than we expected. There was an unanticipated surprise,
though. He allowed us to keep the honey
and honeycombs. And what a honeycomb it
was. We had it spread out all over the
counter in the church kitchen. He told
us that a 4 inch by 4 inch piece of honeycomb was worth $20. He recommended that we put it in jars and
sell it to recoup some of the cost of the removal. And as it so happens, we are hosting a craft
fair at the church on Saturday. Looks
like the Bethlehem Street Market Sweet Shoppe just got an influx of product. Jim and Charlette spent a few hours doing
some comb canning, and as of the last count I heard we have 45 jars and 11 bags
of honey ready to sell. Chris has
already named it. Sweet Blessings from
Seaside. Hey, you can’t beat local honey
for dealing with allergies. A spoonful a
day … or just chew on a piece of the comb.
All this can be yours and the Seaside Church Bethlehem Street
Market. Saturday, December 10th,
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See you there.
Ephesians
5:1-2 says, “Be imitators of God,
therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to
God.”
Father,
thank you for “unexpected’s.” They sure
put a little spice in our lives. Or
should I say “honey”? Amen.
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