My granddaughter was VERY afraid of bees when she was about 3. We took her on her first camping trip and the first thing she saw was a bee fly under the canopy straight at her. Of course, she panicked and began dancing around screaming about the bee. I tried to calm her without upsetting the bee and certainly without trying to swat at or kill the bee. “Stand still. He’s only trying to find his way home.”

Sure enough, she stood still and the bee flew on by. A short time later another bee showed up and instead of screaming and dancing, this time she calmed herself. “Stand still. He’s only trying to find his way home,” she told herself, and away he flew.

Bees matter because life itself depends on their ability to survive. Without bees, there would be no food because food can only grow when the flowers on a plant are pollinated. Yes, other insects are pollinators but none produce food for themselves and us. A taste of honey can sustain a person for twenty-four hours. That’s powerful stuff. My meal is gone in about 4 hours. But to the point. Beekeeping matters because as I said, it is important for life itself.

My friends Joan Slemenda and Buddy Williams have co-authored a book to help wanna=bees like me learn to care for the bees that so graciously care for us. Buddy Williams is now 84 years young and has kept bees for 50 years. He’s a master beekeeper. Joan Slemenda kept bees for 15 years after she retired from teaching. She gained her knowledge of beekeeping from Mr. Williams and other beekeepers. When a lady approached her about beekeeping, Mrs. Slemenda knew the lady needed to know who, what, when, where, and the how of the process so Joan proceeded to write the process in a way that even teens could learn the art of beekeeping. I say teens because beekeeping can be part of 4H clubs and other associations where teens and older children are taught the responsibilities of caring for our environment. Even adults need a mentor, not a YouTube clip to help them along the way in this adventure.

Mrs. Slemenda has done a great job in breaking down the stages of tending a hive of bees. She says beekeeping begins in winter. Just when I thought I would get a rest from the garden and sit down with the garden catalogs I really need to start thinking about my bees. What do I need to order? How and where do I set it up? What do my bees need to eat? Is the weather too cold or too hot? How soon will I get honey? How do I keep from getting stung? Will I get stung? In her book Beekeeping Matters, Mrs. Slemenda breaks down each step of the process month by month so we don’t feel overwhelmed with trying to do everything at once. The bees know just what to do and when to do it just as we need to know the process of when and how. She also offers a journal to help keep track of the needs of the bees. The rhythm of beekeeping is based on the seasons of the Upstate of SC but it’s the same everywhere except for the timing of the weather and the pollen. Consulting the beekeepers’ associations in your area will help you understand the beginning of your beekeeping season.

So much of beekeeping can be incorporated in homeschool or family activities. Have you wondered how far a bee travels away from the hive to gather food? How do bees tell each other the best place to find food? What can we plant to help bees? How can we journal about the bees we see or the bees we tend? With patience and understanding this hobby can become a family adventure. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Family – teaching our family how the Lord wants to care for us and our responsibility to care for His Creation. To order a copy of Beekeeping Matters, email Joan Slemenda at  Beekeepingmatters@gmail.com

Going out to check on the bees – Gail Cartee

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