It’s #BookQW and Cor ‘finds’ creative magic for beekeeping.
From Chapter 15:
Their bee yard was in a clearing between two terrace walls, four hives made up of two hive bodies each and a fifth with three. Additional hive stands stood empty.
“This isn’t enough hives for the size of your orchard,” he remarked.
“We magic in others during the blooming periods, then move them back afterwards. These are for our honey production.” She was messing with the smoker, stuffing the canister with dried leaves from the ground.
“Hold off a minute,” he said and flooded his skin with his protective magic.
“That’s…interesting,” she said curiously.
He held up his arm, the brown of his skin now shimmering with the honey-colored coating of energy. “It’s a spell I worked up for tree protection to keep insect pests from the new saplings. Gives them a fighting chance on Bonterra’s streets. One day I was too lazy to put on a bee suit and thought, ‘Why not?’ The bees can’t get through, and they seem to be calmer.”
“Likely because you’re calmer. May I?” She held up a finger and, at his nod, pushed at his barrier. “Cor, this is brilliant. I can only imagine the boost it gives to new trees. Why didn’t you show it to Lady Pina?”
He tugged at his earlobe, again missing his earring. “Never had the chance. She’s so dead set against having me that I doubt she’d listen.” He took the hive tool from the bucket of supplies. “Either stand back or zip your veil. It worked fine with the Meadows’ bees, but we should give your workers a few minutes’ test to make sure they’re good.”
He removed the lid of the first hive, pried loose a few frames and lifted one. Full of honey. So were each of the other seven. “I’ll check the bottom box, but it’s looking like you need to add another body of empty frames. These ladies don’t have any room to put their brood for the autumn and winter.”
“The bees are carrying on as if you aren’t even there,” she said. “If you’re fine by yourself for a few minutes, I’ll collect a box and frames and see if my father has time to talk about your recommendations.”
“Make it two more boxes, if you can carry them.” He waved her off. The bees hummed pleasantly around his arms, bouncing off his energy, not bothered by it or him. By the time he’d shuffled through the frames of the second box and started on another of the smaller hives, he’d figured out that these must be split hives from this spring.
“Flights,” someone said in a whispered squeak. “He is doing it without a bee suit.”
Cor turned to find three little boys climbing on the stone wall at the edge of the yard.
“Are you supposed to be cursing?” he asked.
The oldest turned red, and the other two began giggling and smacking him.
“No,” the blond boy mumbled. “Willow said you’d opened the hives without a bee suit on, and we didn’t believe her.”
“Aren’t you afraid you’re gonna be stung?” asked the littlest boy.
“Naw,” he said. He pried up a frame.
~~~
A personal note:
Shout-out to my dear husband, who is also a beekeeper, on his first day of retirement! He’s worked as a geologist for 37 years mapping in the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern U. S.
He has plans to dive back into all aspects of nature study, as he did as a kid and through college. With the pandemic, the travel we’d hoped to do might be delayed. For now, we’ll enjoy local nature, our native plant gardening, and working with a team at our church to keep honeybees, like this little gal who hatched in front of us this week!
~~~
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