Summer is just around the corner. And that means lots of picnics, walking barefoot in the grass and long days outside. Since we share the great outdoors with many wonderful creatures, chances are we will get in each other's way. Unlike wasps and yellow jackets, honey bees don't want to sting you. They don't want to sting you because if they do, they will die. The stinger becomes stuck in your skin. When the honey bee tries to fly away, she rips away part of her abdomen and internal organs and will die a few minutes later.   Michael Smith had an idea,...

My Saturday did not go as planned. The previous week I was finally able to move my bees back to my yard. Last Summer I had to relocate them due to a construction site at my house. Happy to have them in my backyard again, I wanted to split the hive to ensure that they didn't swarm to the neighbor's terrace. You can learn about why bees swarm in this blog post. My bees had other plans though. I watched them swarm on Saturday, always a wonder of nature. They don't usually go very far from the original hive. I...

Bees are busy buzzing and Spring is definitely in the air. That means pollen too. Good for the bees, bad for allergy sufferers. I've gathered ten helpful tips for all of you who want to enjoy the fresh air but find it difficult to do so during this time of year.   1. Timing: Know the best time to go outside. Pollen counts are highest in the mornings and on warm and dry days. Windy days stir up the pollen and make it worse. Beware of the first sunny day following a series of cloudy days. Pollen builds up on...