Queen Hildegard & her Bees

April 20, 2015 | What's The Buzz?

Just after Ash Wednesday, we began Bee-keeping at the Abbey.

The bees were transported by night from the far South Coast and brought to our Abbey farm, where they have been placed near the pumpkin patch. They are Italian Bees, known for their non-aggressive temperament. Those of you who have kept bees before or are knowledgeable in the ways of bees will know that bees stimulate our senses and are generally good for our spirits! They make a beautiful sound like a deep hum of contentment from the whirring of wings, happy in their hive. The sweet smell of the hive also brings a sense of peace and comfort, especially in the evenings as the field bees come home with loads of nectar and pollen, to create honey.

The bees love the pumpkin patch and the row of flowering eucalypts nearby. The rainforest cedars are also in blossom and the lilly-pillies are about to bloom so with all of these delights for the bees, we should have some Abbey rainforest honey soon!

So far, there are about 25,000 bees. Each hive has its own song. Lee-Ann and Birdy, who live on our property and help us with our work, transported the bees for us and have seen and heard them around the Abbey, on the lavender and in the eucalypt and pumpkin flowers. The Queen Bee has been named “Hildegard”! This is particularly appropriate as honey is a natural product and Hildegard was renown for using all manner of natural produce in her many recipes. The honey will soon be sold in our shop and is also going to feature in some of the Hildegardian Recipes which we are preparing. The honey flavoured biscuits we are baking at the moment are delicious!