Time to rethink bee housing?
Because we have resident black bears on our property (!!!) we have had to think long and hard about how we will protect the honey bees. As of this writing, we are oscillating between a cage and an electric fence . Many people get by with electric fencing, but bears are notoriously unfazed by the shocks (their fur is the ultimate insulator!) On a trip to Malta, I came across this ancient apiary site. Malta is well known for their fantastic honey (similar to New Zealand/Australia in plant selections) and some of the oldest human ruins are found here. I find it interesting and often very useful to refer to the knowledge of the ancients . Why? Because they figured out many of the truths we take for granted - and set the stage for us to continuously prosper. So what to make of this apiary? I have long toyed with the idea of creating a bee shed - to house the bees and close them up for winter. This type of structure provides rain, snow, and wind protection - but I always worried abou
