Bee Careful

I had the great opportunity to photograph bees hives the other week. Dan Cummings is a bee keeper who suited me up so I could get close to the bees. Dan is in the business of mating queen bees and gave us an close look at what goes into the business. Even though you have a bee suit, a swarm of bees flying around you can still be intimidating. Although I wasn't scared, it doesn't mean I wasn't nervous. I've never been stung by a bee and don't even know if I am allergic to bee stings. As it turned out, I still don't know. And I am perfectly ok with that.

Bee keeper Ray Olivarez Jr. opens up a bee box in Bee operator Dan Cummings facility to grow queen bees at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A queen bee is seen in a bee colony at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Bee larva are seen in a bee colony at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Pollen is seen in pockets of the cells of the colony as Bee operator Dan Cummings shows his facility to grow queen bees at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Bees fight another bee as it tried to enter the wrong colony as bee operator Dan Cummings shows his facility to grow queen bees at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Bees fly around a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Specialized queen bee colony boxes, that have variations of color and location were created by Bee operator Dan Cummings to grow queen bees as he shows his facility to grow queen bees at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Bee keeper Ray Olivarez Jr. uses the smoker in Bee operator Dan Cummings facility to grow queen bees at a property along Hwy 32 Friday, May 5, 2011 in Hamilton City, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)