Saturday we installed the first bee colony on so-on’s rooftop. We = Christina Stadlbauer – the bee-girl, Bartaku – her devoted bee-keeper, Giván Bela – visitor in time, and myself – the affectionate host.

The colony consists of a starters-amount of 20.000 bees, most of them black city bees completed by a few thousand carnica bees. Over time the colony will grow and we installed some devices to monitor their activity and behaviour.
Will they visit their friends, installed in the okno-hives, some 500 meters away? Will they mix and mingle and what will be the taste of the honey they’ll produce: a flavour of curry and lavender or will they go for the sugared city fast food: lemonades and coke?
We’ll keep you posted with bee-stories over spring and summer …

For a complete picture-overview of the first and second attempts of transfer and installation, check: http://thoughtsandtalks.so-on.be/photo-albums/ and click the ‘city bees album’.

In addition a contribution out of Giván Bela’s research:
“The Bee Boy’s Song by Rudyard Kipling”

BEES! Bees! Hark to your bees !
“Hide from your neighbours as much as you please,
But all that has happened, to us you must tell,
Or else we will give you no honey to sell!”

A maiden in her glory,
Upon her wedding-day,
Must tell her Bees the story,
Or else they’ll fly away.
Fly away—die away—
Dwindle down and leave you!
But if you don’t deceive your Bees,
Your Bees will not deceive you.

Marriage, birth or buryin’,
News across the seas,
All you’re sad or merry in,
You must tell the Bees.
Tell ’em coming in an’ out,
Where the Fanners fan,
’Cause the Bees are just about
As curious as a man!

Don’t you wait where trees are,
When the lightnings play,
Nor don’t you hate where Bees are,
Or else they’ll pine away.
Pine away—dwine away—
Anything to leave you!
But if you never grieve your Bees,
Your Bees ’ll never grieve you.