LA Backwards Beekeeper Roberta writes:
David is a new spectacular beekeeper. He went to a Backwards Beekeepers meeting in July and the next week he went with Erik to get his hive. He ordered his suit but couldn't wait to get started. He caught a bad case of bee fever.
He found Janet who had a hive in her bottle brush tree about 9ft high. We started in the evening and with some careful planning we decided to cut the hive down and leave it intact. To be honest I would have never done it myself.
David put a laundry net bag ever his head and simulutaneously held the branch with one hand and cut the branch with loppers with the other! I was just there to smoke, cut a few twigs and hold the light. I couldn't bare starting a 9pm cutout so the hive went into a box with the branch poking out. There wasn't a single bee flying around.
Janet got up close and personal with the bees and seemed a little sad to see them go.
This is close to one of the best bee experiences that I've had so far. More pics later when we do the cut out. Thanks to David and Janet for making it so fun.
- roberta
