The bees that came back
A hive we thought we had lost showed up at the gate, three weeks later, with a queen.
Written by
Sarah, third-generation beekeeper
Hive 47 swarmed in late October. We chased the swarm through three paddocks of black wattle and lost them somewhere past the eastern fence. That happens — it is the cost of running natural colonies in a rainforest, and we accept it.
Three weeks later, on a Tuesday, the swarm was back. Or, more accurately, a different swarm with the same queen had returned to a hive box we had set out, hopefully, near the place we last saw them.
I cannot prove that. But it is the only explanation that fits.
About the author
Sarah, third-generation beekeeper
Contributor
A storyteller from the family — sharing what we learn on the ridge, in the rainforest, and in the kitchen.
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