About this episode

The episode explores the industrious nature of honeybees and their work ethic.

Anytime I’m near a honeybee hive, I linger. I can’t seem to help it. Even though my “to do” list is as long as any honeybee’s, I just stand there and gawk. Perhaps it’s the 40 years I’ve spent managing construction sites that has me so enamored. There is no one in charge of the hive, but everything gets done. There are no bees leaning on shovels, drinking coffee, or chatting on their cell phones. The vast majority of the bees in the hive will only live a few weeks - they quite literally work themselves to death. At the hive entrance, there is always an endless torrent of bees coming and going. Most of them are foragers, collecting everything the hive needs to thrive (pollen, nectar, propolis, water). When they return, they are met by “guard bees”. If the guards don’t recognize the smell of an incoming bee – it is either chased away or killed. Once safely past security, the foragers are greeted by specialized worker bees inside the hive that help them unpack their bounty. Pollen is the only source of protein the hive gets and is vital as a food source. Each forager bee will visit only one type of flower on any given foraging journey, and when they return their pollen sacks range…

People in this episode

Host: Bobbie Emery

Topics covered

• honeybees
• work ethic
• nature
• pollination
• beekeeping

Keywords

• honeybee
• foraging
• pollination
• bee bread
• construction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: honeybee hive, construction sites, Nurse bees, guard bees, forager bees

More episodes of Story Time at Clatter Ridge Farm

• Precisely What We Need · July 16, 2026 · 2 min
• Stacking Hay · July 3, 2026 · 2 min
• The Gift of Clover · June 26, 2026 · 3 min
• How a Dragon Flies · June 19, 2026 · 3 min

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