For All The Mama Hens

(Who mother in the many ways we can mother)

Mother’s Day can feel fraught for so many. But your capacity to care for others—be it children, animals, friends, aging parents or the natural world—does not go unnoticed. Thank you for taking the time and energy to make this place a little better. Your mothering, in all its forms, matters.

— Goldie Hen, who has gone “broody” and refuses to leave her nest spot even after we take her eggs each night. The poor thing starts over each day with new eggs she steals from other hens, sitting on them all day long in hopes that they’ll hatch. I’d love to let her raise some chicks, but we already have more chickens than we possibly need!

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Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

This year is turning out to be a real bummer for bees. Spring is when swarms start happening, and this is how I’ve grown my bee yard from 2 to 11 hives in the past three years. Basically, when a hive is healthy, it will split, with half the bees plus a queen setting off in search of a new home.

Usually, the new hive leaves in a giant cloud and travels about 500 feet before regrouping. They’ll stay at this first spot while scouts work to find their new home. (Fun fact: scouts will do a little dance to give the other bees directions on where to go.)

In the best-case scenario, the bees swarm to a nearby fence post, which makes them very easy to catch and put in a new hive.

Let me tell you: There have been very few best-case scenarios this spring. The first swarm of the year went 30ish feet up into our apple tree, and they must have left some super strong pheromones behind, because nearly every last swarm after them has gone to the exact same spot.

After the fourth swarm in a row was out of reach, even with our tallest ladder, I decided it was time to invest in a bee vacuum. What’s a bee vacuum? It’s exactly what it sounds like. A vacuum that uses gentle suction to pull all the bees into a box. But here’s the thing: Even with the vacuum’s hose, we still couldn’t reach these swarms. So what did we do? We made a bee vacuum backpack.

Everyone, meet Super Bee Man. He goes where no other bee man can.

When Todd and I met on (ironically) Bumble, I don’t think there was any part of him that saw THIS in his future. (In full disclosure, I did say anyone I dated had to be okay with the occasional lamb in the house.)

(Y’all remember when Juliet was in diapers and lived inside?? Sigh. I miss those days!)

Anyway, my profile said NOTHING about climbing into the trees while wearing a makeshift vacuum backpack. Luckily, Super Bee Man was up for the challenge.

While the bee vacuum has made catching the swarms easier, we’re now having a second problem: keeping them. In years past, I usually had one swarm per year decide they don’t like their new box and move on. This year? It’s been every other swarm. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I keep trying to sweeten the pot by throwing in a feeder full of sugar water, frames already coated in wax (drawing comb is labor intensive for bees) and, most recently, stealing frames full of honey from other hives so the swarm moves into a box with a stocked pantry.

I keep trying to remember that farming is just like this sometimes. You do your best, and sometimes that has to bee enough.

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Here’s What I Loved This Week

The peonies are blooming, which is always a delight. I love how over-the-top these flowers are—so top-heavy with their petals that they can barely stay upright. Next time you’re wondering if your outfit is a little much or if you should shink yourself out of the limelight, channel your inner peony. Be your over-the-top beautiful self.