Ella in her Bee Kingdom

Raising kids on a farm is an ultimate experiment? Well, just add bees to that experiment and see what happens – a bee kingdom!

Ok, ok it’s not as scary as what it sounds. In fact, I’m intrigued with the fascination and bond that raising kids around beehives does to them. My youngest showed an interest in beekeeping. She would watch me don my suit and veil as I prepared to inspect my hives.

Ella in her Bee Kingdom
 The many shades of pollen

Ella in her Bee Kingdom

The fear of the bees left her mind as she meticulously watched while I lit my smoker and gave it a few puffs. The smoke bellowed out and the bees settled calmly down into their hive.

Ella (my youngest) peaked up as I lifted each frame of drawn out comb and searched for the Queen. She saw the bees dancing and fanning each other as they communicated their whereabouts and their findings. Ella spotted the queen and formally announced her highness as she traveled her way around the comb while being catered to. She saw love and nurturing.

The importance of bees is critical for our civilization, but these tiny little insects live as if their entire hive is a working organism. Each bee has a task and they must work together for survival.

Ella in Her Bee Kingdom

Ella watches as I talk to the girls and tell them about how proud I am of them. She chuckles, but is aware of the symbolic relationship that a beekeeper has with their bees.

It is a reflection of love and care for life as we know it.

I’ve witnessed her imagination blossom every time she goes up and sits next to the hives. We watches the girls come home with fluffy weighted down Ploom pants and smiles when they come in for a landing.

This evening as we sat, Ella decided to tell me a story of her Bee Kingdom. I enjoyed watching her imagination run wide and I was able to record a little of her story. I hope you enjoy seeing beekeeping through an 8-year old’s eyes.

For the love of Keeping,
Kaylee Richardson The Farm on Quail Hollow 


More on Beekeeping

Keep exploring the wonderful world of raising bees on the homestead!