Blessed by an Ethical Beekeeper

David Brantley, beekeeper of 29 hives on the Novitiate land, arrived at La Vista's Spring Equinox Celebration with this sons, an observation hive, a smoker, his bee suit, and a heart full of love of bees. When he started talking, all those gathered knew we were in for an inspiring presentation.

I expected to learn how incredible bees are, and I was not disappointed. For example, David shared that the Queen is mother of all the bees in the hive and sets the temperament of the hive. Even though she sees daylight only once in her life, during her mating flight, she begins decreasing egg production at the winter solstice, and increasing it at the spring equinox, laying thousands of eggs daily. What participation in the great mystery of life!

What I did not expect to learn was the ins and outs of ethical beekeeping which came up repeatedly during his talk. "I brought along a smoker to show you because it is iconic; however, I never use it as it hinders bees' sense of smell. Would you like to have smoke blown in your face?", he gently queried. Instead, he gets to know his bees so well that they allow him to do his work without being quieted with smoke. He has a relationship with his bees, and he listens to them; if they don't want him around, he backs off. He has learned to feel and hear the temperament of bees.

One participant asked about the ethics of eating honey because it means taking it away from the hive. David shared that bees produce three times more honey than they need for a healthy hive. He makes sure to harvest only the excess and never more. He even feeds them extra in the winter to make sure they have what they need. He told us that beekeeping is a side interest for him, not his main line of work. He tried to do it full time, but he found himself doing things he considered unethical in order to make a living, so he quit, doing it now because of his love of bees.

David also explained that early spring is a dangerous time for bees since the warm weather causes them to fly out of the hive when there is not much pollen or nectar to gather. They could return to the hive exhausted and die. He said that manicured lawns are the death of bees since they remove what does bloom early - dandelions. Bees rely on them, especially in early spring. We concluded that if you care about wildlife, a manicured lawn is on the unethical side of the equation.

We came to see that ethical, sustainable beekeeping is a serious responsibility because it calls for treating the hives with respect and care as well as putting their health and the healthy of the ecosystem above any kind of profit and even the personal convenience of the keeper. After his presentation David didn't stay for snacks; rather, he headed for home so the bees could get outside before dark. David and his bees are an example of what James Hollis calls "humbling service of the mystery". The queen, workers, drones, guards, and our ethical beekeeper, all giving service to the Great Mystery, the foundation and inspiration for our lives as members of the Earth Community. When I asked him about beekeeping as a sacred experience, he responded with hearty agreement, "Oh yeah, it makes me feel part of something much bigger thabn myself."

May you also be blessed as you continue giving your own humbling service to the Great Mystery!