A very strange and magical thing has been happening today.
Something that baffles people even today as much as it must have baffled the ancients.
Bees arrived.
We set up our hive in the garden, not intending to leave it there, but because we’re incurable optimists, we added the tiny vial of bee pheromone. Nothing happened. We saw a bee or two have a little look and then vanish.
Then this morning one appeared that seemed to be taking a very keen interest and going inside. Later this afternoon, I was sitting in the garden and noticed not one but six or seven bees going in and out. Not daring to take the lid off, I fetched one of our stethoscopes (yes, we have about ten; it’s a long story) and listened at the side of the hive. Rising like the sound of distant chain saws came the noise of buzzing from deep within the cedarwood walls.
Bees have arrived. I’m not sure yet if they’ve come to rob the pristine frames of wax but I don’t think so.
Magic, old and deep as nature herself has happened. Yes, we helped it along maybe with the pheromones, but even so, no one is very sure how any of this works. As far as I am aware, there are no hives near us and yet, bees found this hive and moved in.
Amazing, isn’t it?
edited at 7pm.
Been out in my beesuit and found that I was mistaken and they haven’t yet moved in. But bees keep popping in and out and since my teacher tells me they don’t steal wax, I can only conclude that these are still scouts and they are still making up their(hive)mind whether this is the des.res. of their dreams.
Fingers crossed…..
Zen and the Art of Tightrope Walking 
Fingers crossed!
Amazing indeed. I once saw a brief documentary about bee society. They are incredibly well organized.
You know, I’ve always been scared of bees and I don’t like insects in general. (I love any other type of living creatures). But now that I’ve read your post, I had a very pleasant and warm feeling, as though you were talking about a stray dog trying to get closer to you and become your pet. 🙂
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Well, I had to like insects are otherwise I might have found all sorts of icky things in my bed courtesy of my big brother, who is an entomologist! he specialises in butterflies and moths but until very recently he had a collection of tarantulas, of varying sorts, including one tunnel weaver that would come out of the web if you played Phil Collins to it!!!
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