Portland neighbors have some interesting things going on in their backyards, but one thing in particular has been creating a bit of buzz. While some neighbors are keeping chickens and composting with red wigglers, others are turning to something a little more exotic: beekeeping. The protective jumpsuit, gloves and veiled hat are definitely a reality, but Piedmont resident Adrienne Flagg counts her experience as being a sweet one.
Flagg points to her very smart friend Jeff as the reason she became a beekeeper. "He decided we should be bee buddies," she remembers. "Rescuing a swarm of bees and keeping them in the garden sounded pretty bad ass. Or rock star for the PG set."
Flagg signed on. She recalls that Jeff, being smart—in theory—got all kinds of books on bees. "I got a really nice antique one," she giggles, "it looks so pretty in our guest room." Jeff actually read his books, but Flagg watched a couple of videos on You Tube.
If you have a bee swarm in your yard, there are professionals that you can call, but Flagg laughs: "Well, maybe. But, you are just as likely to get some lady who has watched a few You Tubes." Flagg recalls that the videos she watched made collecting a swarm of bees seem relatively simple: Cut the branch the bees are on, give it a good shake and catch the falling bees, along with their queen, in the box you have provided.
"When bees have swarmed they have eaten all their honey for fuel which makes their belly Thanksgiving full," Flagg explains. "They can't tuck their butts enough (in theory) to sting you."
Flagg's bees were on the side of a brick building at the University of Portland—shaking was out of the question. She remembers that there were maybe three or four times as many bees as she had seen on any You Tube video. She didn't even have all her gear yet. With the help of a handy broom over 4 or 5 hours, she finally got the girls into the box. "Well, on to the box..." she adds, "mostly."
At that point, Flagg realized that the box is where the You Tube instruction always ends. "I also realized why farmers have trucks," she notes. "Livestock goes in the back." She put in a call to her very smart friend Jeff to see how she was supposed to get them home. He advised her to keep her gear on, roll down the windows and, most importantly, not to hit any pot holes.
"So, I popped them in the ol' Subaru and prayed for 5 miles," Flagg says. "Jeff assured me it would be ok. After all, he brought his home in a Flexcar!"
It's important to note that Flagg did actually attend the Bill Ruhl bee school the year prior to getting her bees. It's something she recommends for anyone interested in beekeeping. "It is usually a drizzly, adrenaline charged day of commiserating with laid back Beeks [Bee Geeks] in a beautiful setting," she explains. "You rotate mini workshops and learn all kinds of things I can't remember. Most importantly, you get to handle bees. It was the best!"
Currently, Flagg has two hives. "Mine split this year," she explains. "Another rescue story with our neighbors for cheerleaders."
Space and Requirements
"Bees are pretty low key," says Flagg."They are really good at organizing 30,000-60,000 critters to take care of themselves." The majority of what she does is worry. Are they freezing? Are they starving? Are they getting along?
The hive boxes are only 1x2 feet each, so they don't take up a lot of room in Flagg's yard. When the bees leave the hive, they head up about 15-20 feet for scouting, so Flagg doesn't see a huge bee presence in her yard.
On warm days, Flagg notes that there can be some activity in the fly zone, the area 2-4 feet in front of the hive. "We have two hives and people sit out back near them all the time without noticing (much)." She advises: "Just leave a clear fly zone."
Maintenance
Flagg advises opening the hive and checking on the bees every week or two during the spring and summer, but leaving them alone in winter:
I was so worried about letting the internal temperature drop. Plus it rained forever. I had given them up for dead—I had seen so many crash and burn in the snow. It was such a happy day to see the first few zipping in and out of the hive again. I was actually silly with joy!
Hive visits take about 30 minutes and entail a bit of scraping burr comb (irregular honey comb) here and there, making sure the Queen is laying eggs and everyone is healthy. Flagg doesn't use any chemical treatments and describes her experience as super low maintenance. She also counts herself as being pretty lucky. "I have very tidy, very clean bees. Yes, clean bees." Flagg explains. "The more they groom themselves and each other the less likely they are to get mites."
During the Winter, beekeepers build new frames and assemble new boxes if they're needed. "This is a nice project for the crafty folks," says Flagg with a gleam in her eye. "I like it way better than damn scrapbooking and since I can't sew..."
The fall honey harvest is a little more time consuming. For those unfamiliar with bees, honey comes later in the season. "You let them store up enough for a winter and then take the rest," she explains.
Flagg estimates that she spends two weekends a year on maintenance, in addition to checking in on the bees every couple of weeks.
The Neighbors
"First of all, bees are quieter than chickens and they smell fantastic!" exclaims Flagg. She admits that one sweet neighbor was hesitant about the new addition. "She is a veterinarian," says Flagg. "A very generous veterinarian that comes over to help with all kinds of bumps and bruises the animals get. I think she was concerned about what help we might enlist her in."
Flagg says that her other neighbors have been pretty interested and excited about the bees. The neighbor boy loves to report, "Seen one of your bees over at the park today!"
Sweet Rewards
Honey is the obvious reward of beekeeping, but Flagg sees other advantages. "I am an impatient type A, over-scheduled workaholic who plays too much," she chuckles. "There is something about sitting by that hive, hearing the hum, smelling a sweet cloud of honey being worked— time stops when I sit by my bees and watch them zip off into the blue sky."
Flagg was in LA recently, performing and visiting fellow actor friends. They were shocked that she had bees. "Of course they were shocked I baked pies too," she grins. "I am pretty girly and selectively brave. If I can do this you can too." Flagg feels good about making a safe place for these amazing creatures: "I am thankful everyday for all their hard work making Portland beautiful and providing us food. They are truly unsung heroes."
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