Commentary - Opinion Piece

Lo tho the Queen has absconded I still strive to be a Bee Keeper. Having the bees leave is sad and a major hit on my hopes for home grown honey gifts this Christmas but it is not a tragedy.

I am proud to be a member of Backwards Beekeepers, founded and led by Kirk Anderson in the Los Angeles area. Many if not most of us are flaunting the local laws. There seem to be more rules and regulations than bees. They were put in place back when communities were transitioning form rural to urban. Bees were needed and used by the farmers but came to be enemies of the urban population. As farms moved out and people moved in, anti-bee or less than friendly bee laws and rules were put in place.
Over time bees were relegated to places far and distant from the cites. Luckily the bees paid the laws no heed. Commercial bees were working the farms and trying to combat ails and ills imposed on them by commercial interests who only wanted more honey. More honey!
Problems ensued, some due the human interference and who knows what else. Local city bees live in the bushes and parks in spite of human interference. Then along came Colony Collapse Disorder.
Truth be known, no one is sure what causes it but human malfeasance is a major suspect. The organic beekeepers (those using no additives, aid, medicines, artificial substances) looked at the feral bees and saw little or no Colony Collapse Disorder and a movement was born.
Out of this Kirk Anderson started Backwards Beekeepers in Los Angeles with a few rules or concepts.
1) Bees make the rules
2) We provide space and home for the bees.
3) Bees used are feral bees
4) No chemicals or additives are used.
5) They give us honey but the main idea is we promote the bees and provide a friendly habitat.

Simple concept and simple rules, the bees rule.
At least those are the rules as I understand them.

One day I heard something on the radio, attended one meeting and yelled for some bees.
Got bees, tried not to interfere with them and things were going well until...
The bee die-off happened this week, a couple of times. I tried to correct things, failed and the bees left.
Tragedy? No. Sad? Of course but there are more bees out there and this lot has apparently moved to a happier place for them.
As Kirk says, the bees decide.
Long live the Queen!
One Day the Buzz will return to The Dale