Bee in Tree

Weekend worker at Camp Ramshackle.

Bee in Matilija Poppy

I caught this bee working in a Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri) on a hike in the Arroyo Seco. Check out those legs laden with nectar.

Eric and I planted a Matilija poppy at the Ramshackle compound in fall. Despite it's resilient and aggressive reputation, the young poppy plant was no match for the construction crew next door who repeatedly beat the plant with rocks, moved dirt and water bottles. I love these plants--the bright color, the crepe paper petals, and long leafy stems. I hope the next one we plant takes hold.

The Bees Explained

Retrieving the honeycomb

As soon as the ladder was set our eldest son (three and a half) was up the tree reaching for the honeycomb. We had decided to postpone taking it down until after we got back from the Wisteria Festival in Sierra Madre on Sunday. At some point during the festival he had said "Dad, I wanna go home and take down the honeycomb." When he gets an idea, he becomes extremely focused.


Once retrieved, we saw that it contained no honey and probably never had. We think the honey colored sections were actually eggs but aren't sure. The ants had already been there for some time making it difficult to identify exactly what we were looking at.


The idea of melting it down also gave way to curio value of the object. It is really remarkable to handle. It is extremely light and delicate. A stick is encased, running diagonally through it and it has a really beautiful translucent quality when held to the light. So much for cakes and candles.

The Swarm

Last week we had a swarm of bees appear in our cherry tree. They stayed for several days, which was very exciting since we thought this might kick-start our impending adventure in apiculture.

On easter sunday when we went to show the swarm to our guests we were disappointed to find that they had just finished packing and for the most part had moved on, leaving behind the beginnings of a hive. Tomorrow I hope to take it down for a detailed examination, rendering whatever wax and (fingers crossed) honey I can into candles and cakes.