Bee-Cause Bees Matter

 Bees are so endangered, with the ridiculous use of deadly pesticides that seems to be the Norm now. That's just foolish, since it is estimated that if you get rid of the bees, humans will have about four years before we follow along.  Our food comes from plants that pollinated by (wait for it) BEES. There is nothing, and will be nothing, that can replace them in the food chain.  Livestock eats plants that are pollinated by (wait...) Bees!  Virtually everything you put on your table at some point was touched by the careful tiny feet of the bees.  So when we found this old bird box at Red Pine had been taken over by one of the 400 + species of bees -- a type of wild bumblebee -- we had to do something.  After all, while these bees have no real interest in stinging anyone, and are just going about their lawful bee-business of harvesting pollen (you can see some, those golden yellow strands on the outside of the box)  we couldn't leave them that close to a cottage where there will be children.

Enter our cousin Ross Tapley and his lovely wife Anne Marie. Along with running Logging Chain Lodge in Dwight, they operate Muskoka Honey Bee, producing the bet honey you will ever taste.  It is available in our office here, or at Logging Chain, or at several local Farmer's Markets.

Kitted out in bee suits, they came to our (and the bees) rescue.

There were LOTS of bees stuffed in there. And Ross reports a crazy amount of pollen.   You can watch him take down the box here.




A bit of duct tape over the entrance and a 'side door' did the trick of keeping the bees within and the people without while Ross popped the box off the pole.


The bees had quite a fan club as they relocated across the road, to a safe place away from any walking trails or foot traffic.

Now bees don't take kindly to being moved, even a short distance such as this, so there will be some who will not find their way home, but we do sincerely hope that the majority of the hive does well. 

We, after all, are cheering for the bees.

Hopefully later in the autumn Muskoka Honey Bee will be locating one of their apiaries in our back field. We are looking forward to that with excitement, and are pleased to be able to join their 'sweet' endeavor!