Writing The Girl

A Sweet Find

I like sharing things I find.  Especially when they take me completely by surprise.

Here is something that surprised me the other day while spending a weekend away from home:

Beehives!

My secret dream job is to be a Bee Keeper.  There is something about the idea of keeping bees, and watching the cultivation of honey, that I find fascinating.

Plus, honey is yummy!  If I did keep bees for a living, I would probably eat more of the honey than I would sell.

Anyway, here are some pics I snapped of the hives and it’s workers.  They were so active and vibrant, I was glad I had my camera with me.

I don’t know enough about hives, or the life of a bee in a hive, so I won’t even try to explain it.  All I can say about my “sweet” discovery the other day is this:

- The humming and buzzing coming from within the hives was almost deafening when I stood right beside them.  It was a very mesmerizing experience.

- I was really close to get some of these shots. The bees were flying around me and landing on me, yet I was not stung at all.

- It smelled amazing!

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05 Jul This entry was published on July 5, 2012 at 10:25 pm. It’s filed under Photography, Writing and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.

184 thoughts on “A Sweet Find”

  1. Anish Nair on said:

    Wow! Such a simple but interesting post. I really really loved it. And the way you’ve written it makes me wanna go out, find some bee hives and feel the life form within them(Keeping an eye out for the stingers, ofcourse). Happy Blogging!

  2. Romantic Asian Guy on said:

    The Bee Keeper…I like it! Looking at those hives makes me crave some fresh fresh honey!

    Thank you for sharing this post!

  3. jestawordonlife on said:

    Reblogged this on jest a word on life and commented:
    I’m sorry bees and colorful beehives are pretty awesome (definite reblog)

  4. jestawordonlife on said:

    I am no professional in the field of entemology (and bees for that matter), but the simplicity and beauty to this blog is amazing. I love animals and the mixture between the bees and the colorful beehives is wonderful.

  5. roaccchz on said:

    Yup, i was attracted by the colourful boxes :) And i have been wondering about the bees, why didn’t they sting as they do in the wild… or are they too safe and establish to be suspicious? I wish i could taste some of the honey!

  6. Pingback: #143 | The Sophomore Slump

  7. accountkeepingplus on said:

    Sounds like a great experience – love the colours of the hives as improves the contrasts in the pics – Thank you

  8. Aileen Torres on said:

    Mmm, honey. So many wonderful culinary possibilities. Love the color in these photos.

  9. thedailyponderer on said:

    Thanks for this! I have a friend who’s an Apiologist? I think that’s what you call someone who studies bees anyway, but I’ve probably learnt more from this than any pub conversation I have ever had with him.

  10. Chicbunny on said:

    That sounds amazing and scary at the same time! :) Very interesting blog.

    Stefani

  11. skybluewithdaisies on said:

    Congrats on Freshly Pressed! I’m terrified of bees, however i am so grateful for the honey and flowers and all they contribute! those bee hives are so beautiful

  12. brightworm on said:

    Beautiful pictures. Brings me happy memories of visiting my grandparents in Mexico who had hives similiar to the pictures above (only they were white, not colored as they are in the pictures)

  13. thebaretraveller on said:

    Great find! I’ve got a lovely little colony of very territorial African Bees on the roof next to mine. Every time I mow the lawn it turns into some game of forced dance. My neighbour still doesn’t realise they’re slowly taking over his property – perhaps he never will.
    Cool photo’s!

    *Reul Harris

  14. Joe on said:

    Sweet. I worry about the bees, what with hive collapses and urbanization. I’ve never seen such colorful hives before. I kinda thought they had to be white, but guess not!

  15. thatoldkazoo on said:

    Loved this post. For some reason I used to dislike honey but now I can’t get enough of it and I find the beekeeping process fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

  18. Trend Reznor on said:

    Reblogged this on Daimonion Irbis..

  19. PM on said:

    those beehives are so colorful! when i took my vacation i had the chance to see beehives too but i did not come close because i was scared of getting stung. there was minimal buzzing but it scared me good! :lol:

  20. Olivia Ashe, writer on said:

    I though I was the only one with a secret wish to be an apiarist :)

  21. terrball12 on said:

    love the colors. reminds me a bit of Greenland.

  22. Alex Jones on said:

    I wonder if the colours of the hives make a difference to the bees? There is a great WordPress blogger I know who has a blog about beekeeping. Check it out:
    http://missapismellifera.com/

  23. Iga Motylska on said:

    My grandfather is a beekeeper. I really enjoyed this post. Thank you! :)

  25. Pingback: The Bee Keeper: A Photo Story from Ethiopia | WITH A HOPE

  26. Marti Parham on said:

    Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

  27. lauracookphotography on said:

    Well done! Beautiful photos – and not easy to get! I also secretly harbour bee keeping ideas and I love these colourful hives.

  29. Lazfar on said:

    I like these beehive photo’s- very colourful & interesting! :)

  30. LoveCosy on said:

    That is indeed a very sweet find, I love that the hives have been painted in such bright colours.

  31. l0ve0utl0ud on said:

    Really great photos – I discovered a bee hive recently, too and was really impressed (although a bit scared!).

  32. Huckleberryreef on said:

    delicious photo :o ) as far as i know, bees recognize their hives also by colour, so perhaps they’re so vivid to make their return easier

  34. cartoonmick on said:

    Nice pics.

    Bees are great insects, and very essential to plant life (and ours).

    Give a friend a beehive for his/her next birthday.

  35. Carol Dunnigan on said:

    I would do almost anything to get a shot, but wouldn’t be crazy about the bees! lol Love the color of hives! Great capture of the bees! What lens did you use?

    • Janice D on said:

      haha- thanks. I admit, part of it seemed crazy at the time – but I pushed the unease out of my mind…I REALLY wanted close-ups and didn’t have my zoom lens with me. the hives were an unexpected discovery…we had been out taking photos for a different project. All I had was my standard 18-55mm….. ;)

  36. Sharon Salu on said:

    I have never seen such a colorful beehive before. I wonder if it has any effect on the bees’ activities or their ability to produce honey. Lovely pictures. I am glad you weren’t stung :-)

  37. Marcie McGuire on said:

    I love your photo of the colorful beehives. My husband and I keep bees, but I have never seen such beautiful hives. Thanks for sharing. http://marciemcguire2.wordpress.com/author/marciemcguire/

  38. jensine on said:

    I love these pictures and yes I agree bees are incredible and vital

  41. Grumpa Joe on said:

    Each color is probably a different flavor of honey, or a different family of bees. Great photos, thanks for daring to take them.

  42. Thomas on said:

    I read an article on beekeeping a few years back. As I understand it, beekeepers use colored hives or sometimes hives with unique markings to help the bees find their way back to the correct hive. Bees don’t like strange bees stopping by the wrong hive. It is disruptive to their organization and reduces production. Every bee has his unique place in the organization, as I recall from the article.
    If you get a chance to return, please ask the beekeepers to verify this and let us know.

    • Janice D on said:

      Absolutely. If I can find the keepers! We were on a weekend getaway and wondered into a field while out on a walk one evening. But we do plan on going back – so I will try to track them down…! :)

  43. HappyMappy on said:

    Colorful pix..Congratulations on being “fresly pressed!”

  44. Enjoy Your Words on said:

    I’ve never seen the brightly colored hives; just white ones. They’re beautiful. I buy honey from a local couple. The store bought honey doesn’t compare. Thanks for sharing!

  45. doodlerainbow on said:

    I love the bright colours, they’re really gorgeous! I’ve never seen hives like that before.

  46. kai on said:

    This is so cool!!!! ..I wonder why you never got stung! Must’ve been an awesome experience :D

  47. The Girl Next Door on said:

    Wow! Such vibrant colours!! I don’t think I have seen such beehives before. :)

    Here, in India, beekeepers keep bees in the natural beehives that they (the bees) build. They look pretty scary and intimidating!

    This is why I love blogging – it gives me a glimpse of the vast world outside my home, sitting in the comfort of my armchair. Thanks much for showing us your part of the world. :)

  48. Our Tiny Earth on said:

    We plan on getting bees next year. There’s something to be said about producing your own honey! You have a great blog and fantastic pictures. Keep up the good work!

  49. shastanova on said:

    Just started wordpress and this is the first thing i came across. Awesome pictures. If interested in starting beekeeping let me know. Its not that hard and its really fun.

  50. Tiffany on said:

    Those are wonderful hives! I really hope you do become a beekeeper one day, the bees need us more than ever now. Though, I don’t think I have to guts to keep my own bees.
    But maybe one day, I could keep bees and play roller derby. :)

  51. sugarcoatedangel on said:

    this is so cool, you must have had a great time. Keep up the good work

  53. Viktoria Michaelis (@VikiMichaelis) on said:

    We have many, many bee keepers in the area I am living in, in Germany, but none have hives with such vivid colors. Many use basketweave hives, some of which – the older ones – even have faces woven into them. The honey tastes just as good!

  54. alifeinthecountry on said:

    I love the colours of the hives opposed to the plain white ones. What a great idea. Great story. Thanks for sharing.

  55. The Bumble Files on said:

    What a sweet find, indeed. You were very brave to take these close-up shots with all the bees flying around you. I love the colored bee hives. I would have never guessed that’s what they were. I bet there’s nothing like honey straight from the hive. :D

  56. cooking with audrey on said:

    we share the same “secret” dream ;)

  57. Todd Ray on said:

    Love the macro shots! Great article!

  58. Richard McCargar on said:

    Very cool, thanks for posting.

  60. heavenliner on said:

    bees for sure will get attracted to those boxes because those are the colors of Skittles! : )

  62. Pairodox Farm on said:

    I do, in fact, raise bees. You are quite correct in observing that bee keeping has its rewards – including, of course, honey. I highly recommend you take up bee keeping some day – you’ll be very glad you did. Bees are some of the most fascinating animals. A delight to watch. D

  63. fuetimate on said:

    My father has bees to pollinate fruit trees. I think that he doesn’t do anything special and there is no problem, bees always works and every year we have the sweetest honey ever.
    If u want more information I can ask something to him!
    http://fuetimate.wordpress.com/

    • Janice D on said:

      I seriously entertained the idea of keeping bees a few years back, but I could not find enough information locally to confidently go into it. :( Now we are moving from the country into town. I am wondering if I can even have hives in an “urban” setting?

  64. backpackerina on said:

    Really you did not get stung being so close and not wearing any protective clothing? That’s amusing. I was admiring your beautiful picture and thinking “How many bites did that cost”. Mesmerizing!

  65. segmation on said:

    Hi Janice, You are certainly brave in working with these bees. What an awesome blog. Thanks for sharing. http://www.segmation.wordpress.com

  66. idreamofeden on said:

    Congratulations on being freshly pressed and bringing a vibrant vibe to beekeeping! I used to hate honey, it wasn’t until I tried my beekeeper friend’s honey infused with lavender that I was hooked! Seeing the swarm and the realization of the whole process of a hive gives me immense respect for bees! Great pictures!

  67. Kim @ Wonderings on said:

    Those are some amazing photos! Great find!

  68. welcometomylayoff on said:

    A friend of mine became a beekeeper a few years ago — though I don’t think he painted his beehives in such vibrant colours. He planted a blueberry field so that the bees would make blueberry honey. He was stung so much he developed an allergy, and I think he eventually sold his hives when he had to go back to his day job. But he had lots of yummy honey to sell until then.

  69. Nahed Omer on said:

    The bees were flying around me and landing on me, yet I was not stung at all.

    That is good that u were not stung, bees cause serious swelling .

    One day I was leaving the pharmacy suddenly i felt severe pain on my lips. It was swelling badly. I returned again to the pharmacy asking for treatment.

    That incident remind me this quotes:
    I went for one reason I came back with two.haaaaaaaaaaa

    • Janice D on said:

      Haha – funny little anecdote. Thank you! I am sorry you were stung – I too have been stung by bees in the pas – no, it’s not fun at all. I made sure I was really calm here. The only sound was from my camera, clicking as the shutter released. :) Besides, they had no interest in me – they were working!

  70. Constance V. Walden on said:

    This stuff is very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Connie
    http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/

  71. ratchet7764 on said:

    Wow, great photos! This is really cool. Looking forward to the next post!

  72. rommel on said:

    CONGRATULATION!!!! Janice, you got Freshly Pressed!

  73. anita on said:

    First time seeing such colorful houses! It’s like Burano in Venice haha.

  74. iRuniBreathe on said:

    Great photos. Those are some amazing colored hives! Maybe it keeps the bees extra happy?!
    irunibreathe.wordpress.com

  75. pawsforamoment on said:

    I love bee’s! Seriously misunderstood creatures not unlike myself :p

  76. MikeandKlar on said:

    your photos are so great. :)

  77. Elizabeth on said:

    I too, would love to keep bees! Really great pictures!!!

  78. The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife on said:

    lovely shots – and hope you get to experience beekeeping some time in your life!

  79. essaylove on said:

    Hey! I really think you’d enjoy this video from Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/37257936

    Its about sustainable bee-keeping!

  80. mylifeisthebestlife on said:

    This sounds like heaven! I’ve had the secret bee keeping dream for a long time, too. This also makes me want to paint everything in my life.

  81. Lori Lipsky on said:

    Loved seeing your colorful bee hive shots from the safe spot behind my computer.

  82. OneWeekToCrazy on said:

    Cool! (Though terrifying, because that is a lot of potential bee stings in a confined space!) Cheers to you!

  83. Alli on said:

    Yes, yes, yes! I have wanted to start a hive of my own and recently moved to Indiana where the bee laws are more than befitting what I’m planning in my garden. I love the brightly colored boxes. I didn’t even think to bee ;) that creative. Great pics!

  84. zoetic * epics on said:

    WOW! I never knew beehives could be so modern-looking, well-organized and vbrabtly colourful! Thanks for sharing your delightful surprising finds!

  85. youmeandatanuki on said:

    I think beekeeping is really fascinating, too. All those tiny bees working together, very interesting.

  86. APOML on said:

    excellent. my friend just got a hive! i can’t wait to inspire him to paint it one of these colors.

  87. makkosadventures on said:

    no sting! probably meant to be a bee… photographer, though a bee keeper at the same time. :D

  88. emmalaw on said:

    What’s not to love about bees? I think they’re quite cute, they make honey which tastes nice and also makes nice cosmetics. Nice post. xx

  89. golofootball on said:

    I think that is among the such a lot important info for me. And i’m satisfied reading your article. But want to remark on some general issues, The website style is great, the articles is in reality excellent : D. Golofootball Good task, cheers

  90. thegardendeli on said:

    Like you, I love the idea of keeping bees – maybe one day… The multicoloured hives are great!

  91. MikesFilmTalk on said:

    Considering that bees are being affected by some sort of virus, becoming a Bee Keeper could be a vital job in future. Well in my humble opinion anyway. Like you I love honey and the idea of a world without honey makes me shudder. Lovely post and pictures. :-)

  92. itssrijana on said:

    i am so scared of the little things i am never able to admire them but great shots ..get to see things given the option to watch for real i would never watch…i love honey though :)

  93. rommel on said:

    I had been in a small tour about bees. Nice images. I can’t believe you’re able to get a picture of them that close. Maybe you’re not sweet enough. Joke. :D

  94. Bill Chance on said:

    Cool photos. I’ve never seen beehinves painted bright colors like that. The only ones I’ve seen have been plain white – I don’t know why.

    Thanks for sharing.

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