Martha Stewart Shares her Love of Beekeeping!
We all know Martha is the goddess of the home, but she is also quite the homesteader too. She has a beautiful farm in which she composts and grows organic vegetables, and she’s recently taken an interest in beekeeping. As we know, bees are vitally important to our ecosystem and our food supply. It was Martha’s concern for conservation that sparked her interest in our little winged friends.
Did you know that insecticides change honeybees’ DNA and that the amount of heavy metals in soils (and thus in flowers) can impact bees? For more informaiton on the plight of the bees, check out The Vanishing of the Bees and More than Honey.
Like many homesteaders and DIY-inspired folks, Martha took up honeybee keeping as a way to connect with this romantic, awe-inspiring practice of beekeeping and she’s been doing so for many years now. Previously her bees were successful little critters, supplying her with a good amount of honey yet requireing little upkeep. But in recent years she’s seen changes: last year she lost most of her bees. As she notes, across the world there have been stories big and small of bee failures: failed hives, sudden collapse of hives, and deaths of the little bees in the hives. Martha notes that, “Scientists are blaming the increased usage of pesticides, loss of habitat, parasites, and viral and fungal diseases.”
But she also knows the importance of these creatures both for beauty and for sustanance. She says, “My gardens are never more beautiful than they are when these creatures are pollinating and encouraging flower development and vegetable production.” (omg, can you imagine how GORGEOUS Martha’s garden must be?!).
The article in the July/August issue of Martha Stewart Living features the basics of hive maintenance and shares her favorite resources for beekeeping. Check out magazine and learn more about our little winged friends!
Photographs by Paul Costello. Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living. Copyright ©2013. For more environmentally-friendly ideas, check out www.marthastewart.com.