Linda Frost
Reporter

“The sound (of the hive) is a returning place, a way of returning ourselves to our harmonious original thought.” – Jaqueline Freeman, “The Song of Increase”

Near a fork toward the top of the Deer Springs Trail, there stands a towering grandmother of a pine displaying a bright v-shaped lightning scar. This great tree with its yellow scar is easily visible from the trail but is mostly passed by unnoticed.

After the long winter, these pleasant mornings of early spring are extra sweet and inviting to those who love to be outdoors. Hiker after hiker passes within 30 feet of the tree as they make their way over snowy patches which still cover parts of the trail leading to the top of Suicide Rock or veering off toward Strawberry Junction, Mount San Jacinto and beyond.

In a hurry, few notice the low, resonant hum emanating from the heart of the pine. One hiker, attuned to the sound, steps off trail, and slowly approaches the old matriarch tree. The sound is more audible as the hiker approaches. She smiles and stops for a while to admire the large hive of feral honeybees as they make use of these warm days to collect pollen and nectar for their seasonal colony expansion.

One exploratory bee hovers then lands lightly on the hiker’s hand. The bee extends her “tongue” for the salt left on the hiker’s skin from the sweat of the climb. Soon she lifts off and sways on about her business.

It is said that having a healthy population of pollinators is a sign of a healthy environment, and despite wildfires, encroaching pollution and drought, Idyllwild has maintained a vibrant population of wild and feral pollinators over the years. On one quarter mile stretch of Cowbell Alley alone were five wild hives, mostly in the hollows of old oaks conveniently close to the water tank.

“A convenient water supply is one of the most important things you can offer to support a healthy bee population,” says Del Barber, beekeeper and lifelong adviser to local bee clubs and farmers.

In dry times, bees can be spotted swarming the spring located on the Devil’s Slide Trail, with entire patches of damp sand covered with fuzzy golden bodies. Bees prefer to drink from a saturated area instead of a pool, as they are easily drowned.

Providing a safe place for bees and other wildlife to drink in your garden is as important as providing meadowland, flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. A birdbath will work, slightly modified by adding a pile of small rocks or gravel so the bees can have a sort of “beach” and drink without falling in.

After a wildfire swept across the top of Cowbell Alley Road, one of the old oaks that formerly housed a large hive of honeybees was scorched but not burned. The hollow branch, bigger around than a barrel that had housed the hive broke off and lies on the ground, blackened and empty. Most likely the bees had plenty of time to load up on honey and flee the scene before the flames took their home.

Bees know what to do when there is a fire — pack their “bags” and go. Some beekeepers use mechanical smokers to “calm” the bees when working in the hives, but what smoke does is send the bees into a state of emergency. They retreat to the center of the hive to fill their stomachs with honey in preparation for an evacuation and everyone in Idyllwild knows exactly how stressful evacuations are.

Many bee-centric beekeepers these days use a spray bottle full of sugar water instead of smoke to calm down the bees as they work on the hives.

“The bees just take a break and lick off the sugar, giving you time to do your thing,” said Barber.

Wildfires can create an upswing in pollinator concentration in areas not affected by the fire, possibly in your own yard or outbuilding. Many people will find being adopted by a hive of bees thrilling, and some, not so much. If you are in the latter group, wait a day or two and see if the bees keep moving, which they may.

If you decide you need to relocate a hive of bees, the best thing is to look for a local beekeeper or a “no kill” bee removal service in your area. Instead of facing extermination with insecticide, the bees are taken care of during and after removal and distributed to a grateful local beekeeper. Swarms with wild-mated queens carry greater genetic diversity, and so, survive better than narrow or single genetic-line bees bred and artificially mated in captivity. They are also most likely acclimated to the area and don’t need to suffer the stress of traveling long distances. “Package” bees are more delicate and quite expensive, costing hundreds of dollars.

Another option is to ask a local beekeeper to help you set up your own hive. Someone may even have a spare you can keep or borrow. This is often as easy as cutting the branch the swarm has settled on and gently placing it in the hive.

Congratulations, you’re a beekeeper! You don’t have to know a lot. The bees know what to do.

“Trust them. They’ve been doing it for 14 million years,” says Barber. Joining a local bee club can help you make connections with other beekeepers, the majority of whom are thrilled to help each other.

Should you worry about bees on the trail or near your home? Generally, no. Chances are you or your neighbors will never notice a hive on your property. They tend to nest somewhere high up out of your way and come and go about their business mainly over your head.

Honeybees do not want to sting you if they can avoid it, as they will die if they do. They are not like wasps which can sting again and again and unless someone is destroying their home will not care to go out of their way to commit suicide by stinging. If they feel threatened, guard bees will first “bump” into you, usually several times, letting you know to back off before launching a more aggressive attack. Remaining calm and quiet and moving back 10 feet will almost always be effective in avoiding a sting, just as it works in avoiding almost any conflict, human, insect or otherwise.

Most severe stings that take place in the forest or on the trail are perpetrated by yellowjackets, ground-dwelling wasps whose nests are easy to step in as their holes are small and not very visible. Often, yellowjackets will nest in an abandoned rodent’s hole. When their nests are disturbed by logging or digging or just someone stepping in one of their holes, they can be quite aggressive and can sting in large numbers. One employee of Ferrellgas was hospitalized after receiving over 80 stings when digging around a propane tank.

One young forestry worker stepped on a nest while clearing brush and ended up with her pants full of yellowjackets. She reported that she wasn’t sure which was the longer-lasting trauma, the pain of the multiple yellowjacket stings or the shame of being carried out of the woods on a stretcher without her pants by her mostly male crew mates.

Episodes like this one could sour anyone on anything that buzzes. This same forestry worker, now a mother of two and a second grade teacher, was not thrilled when she discovered that her neighbor kept bees, but had to admit, when asked how many stings her family had received, “None,” she laughed, “and every year my neighbor asks me that same snotty question!”

Most bees and wasps are usually benign, but whether they are friendly or not so much, we now know that pollinators are absolutely necessary to our survival as well as to our enjoyment of blooms.

There are many easy ways to help our pollinators. Idyllwild residents and businesses have done much to promote pollinator protection and survival by shunning pesticides and herbicides and by protecting meadows and wildlands and by providing many attractive gardens for them to visit.

Neonicotinoids, chemicals that extensive research have shown to be dangerous to the survival of pollinators and birds, were banned in the European Union starting in 2013. This family of chemicals was partially banned in the U.S. in 2016, but this ban was rolled back lately to the disappointment of the environmentally conscious.

Local businesses and citizens fight against this lapse in environmental protection by purchasing and selling organic products and by supporting organic farmers. They know that where they spend their dollars is one sure way to change policy from the outside in. Organic, non-GMO produce and products are usually labeled as such, and one can ask the seller how their produce is grown. They may be grown organically but have not yet obtained certification, a long and difficult process.

Purchasing non-GMO plants grown organically is another way to protect pollinators. Local nurseries such as Idyllwild Gardens offer a large selection of pollinator-friendly seeds and plants not treated with Neonics, and they are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Manager Caleb Henry stated “Idyllwild Gardens nursery has definitely seen an upswing in visiting bees and pollinators over the last year. Our nursery carries a special line of flowering plants called Perennials for Pollinators, designed to attract butterflies and bees to your garden.” He also offered that he and his staff would be happy to assist with choosing the right plants for specific situations.

Planting varied fruit trees and shrubs that flower at different times and ensure blossoms all season long is one strategy that environmentally conscious farmers are using instead of raising monoculture crops to ensure that healthy local bee populations will be there when they need them. Local gardeners can adopt the same strategies.

There are so many easy ways to protect pollinators, including not using toxic weed killers. Pulling or whacking weeds or using a non-toxic mix of Dawn dish soap, Epsom salt and white vinegar work for weed abatement. Taking pollinator protection even further, Stacey Grant, of Fern Valley, attempts to weed whack around each wildflower, leaving as many to bloom as she can. A true pollinator’s hero!

By the way, if you are still worried about stings, in January 2012, NIFC.gov reported that “A person is more likely to be killed by lightning than by a bee sting.” So, take the time to smell the flowers, bees or no.

Spring returns to the Hill, and with it comes the soothing drone of bees on the lilac, manzanita, and apple blossoms among others. Jaqueline Freeman, biodynamic farmer and natural beekeeper states that, “Returning to this sacred harmony recalibrates and heals us.”

Keep your eyes and ears out for your helpful friends the bees as you walk the trails this summer and send them some love and a “Thank You” for their untiring efforts that keep you in blooms.