I am an apiarist.  To be more precise, I am a novice first year, single hive beekeeper.  To say “I’m an apiarist” implies I know what I’m doing.

For the last couple of years I’ve been talking about getting honey bees.  I read a few books. I attended a couple of classes. I joined the local beekeeper’s club. I watched countless educational videos. I’ve learned enough to “be dangerous”.  This spring I stopped planning and acted. (More on that topic later…)

I started with a nuclear colony hive (about 6,000 bees) and grew my hive to about 90,000 bees.  My bees were doing well.  First year beekeepers do not expect to harvest any significant amount of honey.  I ‘robbed’ one frame (about 1/2 gallon) and was delighted to get it.

During the fall and winter months bees live on the honey they’ve gathered and stored. If a beekeeper takes too much honey the hive will suffer.  I knew my bees would be OK.  They had 15 full frames of honey stored.

Originally, when I placed the bee hive, my wife was skeptical.  She had an unfriendly attack from stinging flying insects when she was young and said she “didn’t like bees”.  Mistaking bees for wasps or yellow jackets is a common misconception. Bees are almost never aggressive.  Yellow jackets, on the other hand, are assholes.  It’s as if wasps and yellow jackets are perpetually ‘roids raging.

Fact is I was never stung by my bees.  I’ve been in their hive, pushing, prodding, moving, changing every 10 days or so… No stings to any family members either.  Our garden flourished more than ever. My apple trees and grape vines had bumper crops.  Yay bees. Yay pollination.

Bees do have predators.  Mice, ants, skunks, raccoon, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets to name a few.

My hive was attacked by predator yellow jackets.  I tried everything I know to get rid of the yellow jackets and protect the hive; but I lost the war.  This evening I discovered my bees were decimated and all (I mean ALL) the honey was robbed. Yellow jackets killed my bees and stole their honey. I was heartbroken.

I didn’t protect my tender bees. I let them down. They were vulnerable and I under-estimated their enemy.  This is hard & painful learning experience.  And I’m not sure what the learning lesson is exactly.

In my alter ego I protect the vulnerable. I stand up for those who can’t help themselves. I am the guardian from the predators.  I keep order. I solve problems and settle disputes.  I lock up the bad guys.  And then in one autumn evening I discover how vulnerable I am to the yellow jacket.

I think my lesson may be to experience humility…. The sheepdog is beaten, not by a wolf– but by lowly flying insects.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

Dr Jay