Once you get to know honey bees as I have, you’ll find an extra-special spot for them deep in your psyche. Interest and passion for honey bees likely comes from the primitive vestiges of our heart-brain, where a human knows that making friends with this insect actually ensures survival. The honey bee can provide a human with surplus honey that serves as both food and medication, beeswax for light and fuel, and highly proteinaceous larvae and pollen for eating (which I have tried – not bad!).

I fell under their spell many years ago, and make a point of always having a hive or two (or 30) of my own. There is something highly rewarding about good beekeeping, but the feelings are hard to narrow down into a few words. One of the recurring feelings I get is that of acceptance…that the bees are accepting me; I am not an intruder, but an admiring servant. Another feeling is that if you learn how to listen to the bees, you will be able to hear when they are sick, angry, happy, or in need of a new queen. Sounds crazy! I guess it kinda is…especially considering that any of this needs to be experienced first hand, as opposed to being written about.

On a sunny day in March of last winter, I went and checked up on them. I have this ritualistic thing that I do when it’s relatively warm out and the bees start flying around…and this time I filmed it.