The Guilded Life of Beekeeping

Photo by Shea Evans
The pedigree of honey Does not concern the bee; A clover, any time, to him Is aristocracy. —Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Photo by Carole Topalian
Photo by Robin Chapman
Budding beekeepers get an inside look at a traveling hive of live bees at a Beekeepers’ Guild seminar in Burlingame
Photo by Robin Chapman
Art Hall sweet talking his hive of honey bees at Stanford Educational Farm
Photo by Robin Chapman
This 'bee hotel' is a non-honey producing living space for native bees. These structures serve as a vital purpose in supporting other bee species which, along with the honey bee, help pollinate more than 85% of the vegetation in a given area. Many bee species live in small holes in decaying wood, or in the ground. To help counteract diminishing habitats, people (and the guilds) build these little 'hotels' out of hollowed bamboo or sticks.