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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: John Rintoul <beecd AT icloud.com>
  • To: Orange County Beekeepers Association <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [ocba] Carrboro bees
  • Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 22:41:57 -0500

Disclaimer: I am a first year beekeeper . . . i am still in the early stages of my fascination with bees.

I watched 'the' bees today. I am reluctant to call them 'my' bees because they clearly carry on with their lives without reference to my presumed ownership. The temperature while I watched was 53F. I've read that bees don't fly when the temps are below 55F. These bees are either illiterate or they read different source materials than I do.

I was surprised to see that they were still bringing in pollen. Only a few of them were burdened with pollen saddlebags (yeah, I know Chris, corbicula not saddlebags) . . . but every 20th bee or so came home carrying bright orange saddlebag sustenance. I don't know what, if anything, the other unpollinated 19 were bringing home. Possibly only empty bowels. Maybe they were just out stretching their wings on a sunny, warm-ish day.

As I watched I wondered, "Where are they finding pollen?" Asters? Whatever . . . it doesn't really matter. Food is food. My takeaway sentiment was respect. The bees take advantage of every reasonably temperate day to do their job - find food, bring it home to share with family. It reinforces Randall’s oft-stated philosophy - let the bees be bees. They know their business. We can watch. We can interact. We can interfere. We can hope to understand. 

I am in awe.

Remember - I am a first year beekeeper.



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