Check out the handmade warning sign.
LA Backwards Beekeeper Ruth writes about a true community effort:
I responded to a swarm call in Westwood—I was right in the neighborhood. There was a little grapefruit-sized swarm hanging from a crosswalk sign in a super-busy intersection! I used my trusty 1-quart milk carton to get them into a little cardboard box, taped onto the top of my ladder.
Matrone and Erich.
The swarm call was made by Susan Olsen, who learned about the crosswalk-bees from Westwood Ambassadors Matrone Hutchings and Erich Knapper, who work for the Westwood Village Improvement Association.
They in turn, were notified by a manager at the Trader Joes in front of the crosswalk, who heard about the bees from a pedestrian named Frank.
Frank.
Frank makes documentary films and is very aware of environmental issues. His next film will be about the importance of insect-eating bats.
While I was hanging around waiting for the bees all to go in to the box, a young guy stopped in his tracks in front of the swarm box. "Oh my God that is a swarm box! Amazing!" he yelled.
I said to him "That is MY amazing swarm box! Are you a beekeeper?"
And he said "I am a Backwards Beekeeper!"
And that's how I met Chance, who's been learning beekeeping from Walker and Kirk.
Chance.
So I said, "Chance, where do you keep your bees?"
And he told me, "I don't have any yet!"
So I gave him these Crosswalk Sign Bees.
And then the corner went back to normal.
—Ruth
