Health – Humble honeybee knows all

Over the last few weeks, we have been graced with warmer temperatures, more sunlight and a welcome reprieve from a rather wet winter. A long held pastime of mine also increases in frequency, with beehive inspections now becoming a weekly activity.

In summer, the warmer temperatures prompt the hive to steadily become more busier. The queen becomes more active and starts to lay eggs at a peak of 3000+ per day while foraging bees go to work. Pretty soon the hive population is exploding, sometimes leading a portion of them to ‘swarm’. This occurs either because the bees lack space, or because they have staged a coup and decided that the queen needs to be replaced. Even the smallest citizens live in a democratic society!    

Unfortunately, honeybees cannot survive for long outside of a managed hive, so unless a local bee enthusiast collects the swarm, they will likely perish. The ball of bees often seen hanging from a branch are usually docile, in part because they gorge themselves with honey to the point of intoxication before leaving the hive. I collected a large swarm from Gulf Harbour and they have quite happily taken to their new hive box at home. 

So how does one draw a philosophical connection between honeybees, humans, and life in 2024? Here are five tips that these humble, busy little creatures can teach us:  

Get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Getting outdoors is good for our physical and mental wellbeing in so many ways. Our Vitamin D levels, typically low due to the long winter, need to be boosted so our immune system can cope with any ailments or illnesses. 

Teamwork. The end of the year tends to create a bit of chaos with busy work, and social, calendars. A job shared is a job halved. Look to support others, as you ask for support yourself!

Consensus. When a hive swarms, the scout bees go out looking for a new location. On returning, they perform a ‘waggle dance’ to tell the other bees all about the new spot. The more enthusiastic the dance, the more that other bees start to replicate it until there is enough consensus that they agree on their new home. Nature’s own democratic process!   

Be agreeable. Unlike the wasp (a truly grumpy, angry insect), a honeybee will only ever sting if it is feeling threatened. Before this they will literally tell you to ‘buzz off’ with a loud buzzing, or bump into you to encourage the threat to move on. A honeybee dies after stinging, so being conflict-averse is critical to survival. At times perhaps we too should learn to let things go. Maybe acknowledge that people have different points of view, and then respectfully agree to disagree. It’s far more pleasant to live in harmony than to either seek out or approach life in a combative way.

Responsibility. Each bee in the hive has a role to play that changes dependant on the type or even age of the bee. Given worker bees only live around 6 weeks throughout the summer period, the younger bees will forage while older worker bees are more likely to be put to task within the hive. Taking responsibility for our own wellbeing, for the communities we live in, and for nature itself as we get outside this summer is a lesson we can all learn from the honeybee. 

So this summer, moving forward into the holiday period and then into 2025, think like the honeybee. I wish everyone the best over the Christmas and New Year period to come back refreshed and ready to tackle 2025 with enthusiasm and vigour.