Colonies multiply...and so have our beehives. We're up to 6 beehives now, roughly ~200,000 bees. Not all beehives make it year over year - sometimes they get robbed, get diseases, suffer a queen death after a mating cycle, or just aren't able to survive our bitter cold Canadian winters. We try to mitigate some of these afflictions by properly insulating the hives, growing queens (the smaller hives in the picture has no honey boxes, it's only to grow queens in case a queen dies), and ensuring our bees have enough food.
We are grateful for our neighbours who have bird baths (bees get thirsty and LOVE bird baths and fountains), plant and keep flowers that bloom throughout the season (especially early spring!), and don't mind these amazing animals in the neighbourhood.
Beekeeping started as a hobby to supplement our garden but it has made its own space in our lives. We may not be able to name every bee, but we celebrate every colony. We are grateful that you've chosen to support these pollinators and the planet with us.