here's to the bees!

Happy National Honeybee Day!

what do you know about bees? well, other than the basics, like the obvious bees make honey, i didn't know much. that is, until recently. my father-in-law is now the proud owner of thousands of bees! he has been fulfilling his dream of keeping bees since may and we have all learned a lot through his new hobby! i even attended the local chapter of beekeepers meeting with him and, unfortunately, it wasn't as punny as i expected. i guess they all got over the "bee jokes" a long time ago.

to celebrate this bee-autiful day, i have for you several bee facts as well as some pictures of us kids (my husband, my sis-in-law, and myself) helping out with the bees. ethan is still a bit young to assist with this chore...maybe next year!

{bee facts}

the queen bee develops in 16 days and lives from 1 to 4 years

all worker bees are female

worker bees take 21 days to develop and live from 6-8 weeks in the summer to 4-6 months in the winter

worker bees die if they sting

the drones sole responsibility is fertilization

the drones develop in 24 days, have no stinger, and depend on the worker bees for food

becky getting suited up


becky and brian helping their dad check on the bees

the smoker

smoking the beehive

amanda, the beekeeper

beautiful sunflower in the yard

little garden helper

up close with the bees