Passage I

Honeybee Love

Over the years, I have gained a reputation that among family and friends as a honeybee enthusiast. My fascination with these little creatures, puts me into some interesting situations now and then. Just last month, for instance, I received a call from a neighbor her plea for my help resulted in a happy ending for everyone involved.

Clara, my neighbor, explained her problem. While she had been away for the summer, bees had invaded her house. She was pretty sure they had found their way in through a tiny hole near the chimney. In the hollow space between the outside and inside walls, the bees had established a hive, much to Clara's alarm. (5) She could now hear, the thrum and whir of the colony sitting in her living room. Outside, she could see the bees coming and going from her house, which they obviously treated as theirs, too.

Clara asked me to remove the bees. I explained that I was knowledgeable about bees and enchanted by their behavior, but I had no beekeeping expertise. However, I assured her, I would find someone who did have some. In the meantime, I told her, I would be happy to come by and size up to her situation.

When the time came, Clara wanted to know if the bees in her house were dangerous, I assured her that they were docile honeybees. Hoping to cheer her up, I pointed out that if my estimates were correct the hive might produce as much as two hundred pounds of honey a year for her. She still wanted the bees banished. I could have them and their honey too as far as she was concerned. So, instead, I made the leap from bee-lover to beekeeper. On a website devoted to bees, I found the name of a beekeeper in our region. (12) She was eager to help out even though she lived an hour away. One Saturday afternoon, her and I transferred the bees—and their honey—to a wooden hive. With her help, I am learning to tend it. Clara is relieved, I'm happy, the bees are settled, and my family and friends are looking forward to the honey. (14)