That is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The stings and arrows of honey fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
So after I said I would harvest some honey this week the weather decided it was going to be miserable. This puts me in a dilemma, do I got ahead regardless of weather or wait for a nice sunny day.
On one hand, I'd really like to have some honey for my party. I planned on using it to make some baklava and honey mustard sauce, I could also have some small jars to give friends. However, when I started beekeeping I did so with the mind set that I would be different than commercial beekeepers. Because for commercial beekeeping it's all about making money and they treat their bees like garbage, harvesting regardless of weather. Sure they "care" about them because without them they wouldn't make money, but they don't respect them. No matter how innocent I think popping the top of the hive in cold rainy weather only for a few minutes to grab a frame or two it isn't good for the bees, or at least I don't think it's good for the bees. It also makes things more complicated because during bad weather the foraging bees aren't out in the fields so that means a lot more bees inside the hive.
It is the exact thing I'm trying to avoid; taking advantage of my bees. This sort of practice has to stop if we don't want our bees to die off, but it's up the individual beekeeper and I have chosen to side with my bees. I'm not by any means granola or hippy, but like any family pet I just want the best for my bees.
That said, I'll wait for the weather to change so I can go harvest some honey. I hope my party guests will understand.
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