Seeing the saguaro bloom was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. And I got it.
Daylight pollination of the saguaro cactus
A four day weekend in Tucson, AZ and a 6am hike in the Sonoran desert chalked up the moment I was waiting for… Though the stately saguaro cacti are usually pollinated at night by bats (the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, to be exact), the blossoms remain open for a few hours each morning giving local honeybees a shot at the goodies.
One of the most generous beeks in our local community examined his hives this weekend and found tragedy.
2 entirely dead hives
It’s the sort of thing that drops your heart right through your feet, crashing like a pebble on the dirt below.
Immediately the examination of conscience begins like Sister Rose Angela in the 3rd grade quizzing you tirelessly:
Surely, you have sinned, my child.
NM Beek did the brave thing and wrote about it. For a newbeek like myself, his experience and the naked telling of it are invaluable learning opportunities. 50 lashes aside, nothing hones one’s skill like a few failures and a visit to the bee catacombs.
Besides, he’s not the only one.
Photo by Joy Godfrey
mistress beek 
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