Photograph and text by John O’Hazza
From the April 2020 issue

This honey bee looked very happy and contented as it slowly flitted from poppy to poppy in my bee yard. She moved slowly, seemingly determined to gather nectar and pollen, acting as if she didn’t even notice me. I thought to myself what a relief it must be to be outside of the hive with space to move without touching another bee. Honey bees spend most of their approximate 42-day lifespan in the hive doing housework, only leaving for short cleansing and orientation flights. They finally become foragers and scouts in the last two weeks of their life, these being the most dangerous jobs. Yet they work nonstop for the well-being of the colony right up until death.