Hello Honeymonsters!
We hope you are getting a chance to get out and enjoy the height of summer! Knowing Scotland that doesn’t necessarily mean sun, but between the showers, there is an abundance of activity happening down and around the flowers. Our bee sisters will be making the most of this time. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, they are beginning preparations for winter already! (We, luckily, get a few more months before that one day you leave without a jacket and are suddenly reminded winter is coming!). Various nectar flows are abundant, as well as mid-summer pollen to collect, both of which are crucial to their survival through the winter.
As we are lucky enough to not bee thinking about winter, that means it is the perfect time to have (or at least to attempt!) a picnic or barbeque! Last week was National BBQ week, and July is National Picnic Month over in the states, so we thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate spending time outdoors, and making the most of the summer weather, just like our bee sisters.
As well as sharing a few hints and tips to keep your BBQ insect friendly, and how to avoid attracting bee friends, if you have some not-yet-bee-convinced human friends!
Barbequing is a great way to get out and enjoy the height of summer. Great for friends and family, but also a very good way to spend some time appreciating nature on your own (plus you get all the food you cook, no more waiting for everyone to go first!). Eating outside is something we rarely get to do, and if we do, because we are in a rush, we rarely take the time to enjoy it. A barbeque can be a really good way of introducing your friends and family to your love of the outdoors, and you can easily strike up a conversation about all the lovely insect friends who are also eating and collecting food around you. Especially bee sisters.
However, it is unavoidable that not everyone shares our love of bee sisters quite to the same extent as us (or at least not yet) but there are also not that friendly wasp or very dangerous hornets which might be attracted to your meal.
So, we thought we would share a few tips that might help keep the bees away from your BBQ spread, and anyone who might not be enthralled by the idea of a bee sister joining them at the table! BBQs are also not the most Bee friendly occasions, high heat and deep drinks can be dangerous to our bee sisters. So, on some occasions, it is best to try and persuade the bee sisters to miss out on the event.
So here are some bee-friendly ways to politely tell your bee friend, that they are just not invited this time:
1: Mint!
A super easy deterrent for both bees and wasps, mint is a natural repellent. Keep some fresh mint plants on the table, or even keep a fresh pot of mint tea on the table for your guests. Mint tea is great for indigestion, so it will be sure to keep your guests comfortable too!
2: Colours!
The bunting, the vegetables, the flowers. All create a beautiful sight. But it isn’t just us that are attracted to these colours, Bees and wasps mistake bright colours for possible flowers, and can be tempted to investigate. Consider swapping to plain napkins and tablecloths.
3: Cover it up!
Keeping food covered, even just until it is needed can avoid tempting too many extra guests.
4: distraction!
Got some fruit peelings and cores from the fruit salad prep? Place them out at the edge of your garden, as far as possible from your table. This can offer a more intriguing distraction to visiting insects. Just don’t put out too much and make it too attractive!
5: Embrace the smoke!
Beekeepers have utilised the effect smoke has on insects for as long as we have been keeping them (a very long time!). Beekeepers use smoke to pacify a hive of bees when working with them, however, most insects will also avoid smoke entirely by instinct. So, if you don’t mind maybe having to do an extra load of laundry, sitting slightly downwind of your BBQ might just be enough to keep any extra guests away.
These five tips should help ensure that your bee friends keep their distance from your meal. However, if one does drop by try and avoid causing any panic and maybe take the opportunity to show just how friendly a bee can be!
Honey can also be a brilliant ingredient to add to your BBQ list.
You can add it drizzled over roast veggies and meats. Or warm it with a little butter for a delicious glaze before your food hits the grill!
We recommend dark honey to pair with your BBQ food of choice. Our Buckwheat Blossom honey finishes on a rich malty note, bringing a deep malty sweetness to whatever you choose to grill, and if you would like less of the sweetness however you prefer the maltiness then the best honey choice is the Honeydew Honey!
Happy barbequing Honeymonsters!
