I always enjoy it when an old wive’s tale or folk wisdom turns out to be true, or has its wisdom based in some innate knowledge that science gives evidence to hundreds of years later.
And so it seems that bees do recognize the face of the beekeeper. Here’s an interesting article from Science.org describing the research: https://www.science.org/content/article/bees-recognize-human-faces
In parts of Europe and in the Appalachians, it has long been the custom to inform the bees of major life events affecting the beekeeper. And cake and wine from a wedding must be left by the hives. Custom holds they also be informed if the beekeeper dies. They must be “put into mourning” or some calamity will befall. There’s more about that here.
So the old wisdom of “go tell the bees” has some merit.
And I realize I should have put a bit of wedding cake by the hives when the beekeeper married me last year. Uh-oh. Well, I’ll sign off now . . . I gotta go tell the bees.
Blessings,
The BeeKeeper’s Wife
