The Bumblebee Circle

It's that sticky time again....🍯💕

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🐝 SMALL HANDFUL OF BEETLES MAKING LOCAL NEWS 🐝

Recently, the BC Ministry of Agriculture's Provincial Apiculture Specialist sent out notice to Fraser Valley beekeepers that the Small Hive Beetle has been detected in the Fraser Valley this summer!

Curious about what this means? To put it simply, the Small Hive Beetle is an invasive pest that targets honeybee colonies. While the adult beetles can sneak into hives, the real trouble comes from their hungry offspring (larvae), which tunnel through honeycombs, consume pollen and honey, and leave behind a fermented residue that ruins stored honey (for both the bees & human consumption).

As concerning as this sounds, we have had sightings of SHB in our region before, and hasn't taken hold. Thank goodness! Nonetheless, we definitely don't like hearing about it again - and definitely don't want this pest sticking around!

So the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and regional beekeepers can step up proactive management practices, such as increasing routine hive inspections, practicing meticulous apiary sanitation, and maintaining strong and populous colonies that can naturally defend themselves, among other SHB prevention/monitoring practices.

More information about the SHB here:https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/animal-and-crops/animal-production/bee-assets/api_fs218.pdf

Just celebrated my 15th Wedding Anniversary yesterday with my best friend, Jason...

Speaking of wedding nuptials... Did you know the queen bee gets "married"? Well, not really, but her mating flight is referred to as her "nuptial or marriage flight"!

The queen's marriage flight consists of leaving the hive (for the first time in her life and sometimes the only time, unless she swarms), to mate with an average of 20 drones. Drones are uniquely built for this high-stakes mission, equipped with specialized antennae packed with thousands of extra sensory organs to smell her pheromones from afar, and oversized flight muscles designed to chase her down about 50 feet up in the air. Once mated she has everything within her for the rest of her "laying" lifetime [both fertilized (female) and unfertilized (male) eggs], if she returns successfully to queenright her hive.

Thankfully, our 15 post-nuptial years (18 together) didn't require an intense mid-air mating frenzy competition. Out of all the people in the world, Jason and I just found each other, and it's been the sweetest adventure ever since.

Happy Anniversary to my absolute favorite person! 🥂🐝💛

RIP to my cell phone, which has officially retired to a watery grave at the bottom of a lake. 🪦📱🌊

Losing your phone isn’t just losing a gadget—it’s losing your entire lifeline to communication, navigation, and staying connected to the world (and the pictures you did not back up! :( ) Right now, I am officially feeling completely untethered and 'in the dark' when it comes to communicating with family & friends, and 'navigating' my life/schedule (minus a computer I can log into).

Honestly, I’m feeling a bit jealous of bees right now. If I were a bee, losing a device wouldn't be a problem at all. They don't need smartphones because their navigation and communication system is built right in! They have a brilliant "waggle dance" to map out exact directions relative to the sun, and polarized light patterns to guide them home without ever getting lost. Their sense of "smell" also paints a map of the world for them (I'll save that amazing bee fact for another day)....

Can you imagine how great it would be to have a built-in cellular system like that? No dropped calls, no dead batteries, and definitely no sinking to the bottom of a lake. Just pure, organic connectivity.

Until I figure out how to evolve wings and a waggle dance, consider me temporarily unreachable until next week when I can plug back into the matrix! LOL 🐝✨

It's summer time! That means epic Road Trips for some people and bees??!!?? LOL

A bee might only weigh a fraction of a gram, but its travel schedule is unmatched:

Daily Commute: Up to 5 miles per trip in search of the best flowers
Cruising Speed: 15–20 mph
Total Distance: To produce 1 lb of honey, a hive flies roughly 40,000 miles

Talk about dedicated travelers! Next time you see a bee in your garden, wish them a safe flight home. 🐝

🌧️ Did you know? Honeybees are surprisingly great weather forecasters! 🐝

Ever wonder what happens to bees when dark clouds roll in? Turns out, honeybees don't just react to the rain—they actually predict it.

Here are three wild facts about honeybees and rain:

1. They feel the pressure: Honeybees have specialized sensilla (tiny sensory organs) that detect subtle drops in barometric pressure. Hours before a storm hits, the hive knows rain is on the way.

2. They go into "overtime": RFID tracking studies show that when bees sense an incoming storm, foragers work significantly longer hours and fly faster to hoard as much nectar as possible before lockdown.

3. Raindrops are aerial bowling balls: A single raindrop can weigh up to 50 times more than a honeybee. While a light drizzle won't stop them, heavy rain can knock a bee out of the air like a cannonball, which is why they hustle home to hunker down.

Next time you see bees frantically buzzing around your flowers right before a downpour, they're not just foraging—they're beating the clock! ⛈️🌼

Today's Book Share (PIC): Pp. 41-42 in "Bee the Light" (2022, Bumblebee Circle Publishing).

Did you know there’s a food in your pantry right now that could outlive civilization? 🍯✨

Archeologists have actually found 3,000-year-old pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs... and it was still 100% edible! 🤯

Basically, as long as you keep it sealed away from moisture, real honey never expires.

Nature really created the ultimate superfood. 🍯💛

What’s your favorite way to use honey? Drizzle on toast, in tea, or straight off the spoon? Let me know below! 👇

✨ Tune into the frequency of nature and the heart. 🐝💚

Did you know that the gentle, restorative hum of bees is deeply connected to 432 Hz? This vibration is often called the natural frequency of the universe, but more importantly, it is the frequency of the Heart Chakra (Anahata)!

When bees vibrate their wings, they aren't just making a sound; they are creating a harmonious rhythm that aligns perfectly with the Earth’s natural energy and the seat of love, compassion, and healing within our own bodies. 🌸

This powerful 432 Hz vibration resonates with the Heart Chakra, clearing emotional blockages, promoting profound peace, and fostering a deep sense of connection to all life. Bees are literally vibrating at the speed of love! 🐝💖

Next time you hear a honeybee nearby, take a slow breath, listen closely, and feel their tiny, powerful frequency opening your heart to light and unity. 💛🌿

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A repost. But such a goodie not to!
You matter!

After all these years with an Instagram account I made my first post ever. 😆🤪 Instagram is still a new & foreign platform to me - so I welcome insight, and followers. Thanks for your support.

What is community? What is Circle and how can it be used for community-building? How do we build healthy communities for all beings? How can we utilize Circle for Environmental Education? You'll find answers to these questions and more in: Circlebee, 2nd Ed. (Circlekeeping for Taking Care of Self, Others and the Environment).