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Bee short course

Dig and Let Dig recently visited a small beekeeper a few miles out of town, just to see how he kept his two hives. To be very clear, we are interested in helping bees by planting hospitably and not killing them with chemicals. But we didn't think we wanted to keep bees ourselves, and knew we didn't after a brief session looking in on busy bees.

First of all, how does anyone dress appropriately for the bees in the heat of a Texas summer? After a few minutes in a close, smoky environment, dressed in a beekeeper's veil, three shirts, long pants, socks and boots, with rubber bands around our wrists and ankles to make sure no bees crawled inside our clothes, we were ready to submit to bee stings just for ventilation. 

So you have to admire the people who have learned this trade and practice beekeeping commercially. You also have to admire the small beekeepers who like taking care of the colonies and passing their knowledge to others. 

Keith Crenwelge, who welcomed us to see one of his hives, is an entomologist who learned what to do from his beekeeping father. "We all did it," said Crenwelge of his brothers and sisters growing up. When a family member recently collected some bees, he brought them to Crenwelge, who then increased the population of the hive by collecting a few of his own from a friend's house. Now the bees are doing their own multiplication. A queen bee can lay 2,000 eggs in one day. 

Crenwelge is not a commercial beekeeper. But he likes watching the bees multiply and studying their habits. He keeps one hive in a shed on his property, and has another under a grove of trees that he plans to move nearby.  

E-mail us if you would like the issue of our Dig and Let Dig newsletter that discusses CCD and bee-attracting plants. And be sure to subscribe to the FREE newsletter so you won't miss any of our handy home and garden stories and ideas.