Yay! The Tulip Poplar Blooms

It’s pretty exciting to be a bee keeper in WNC this time of year. The beautiful yellow, orange and green bloom of the tulip (yellow) poplar tree drips with nectar (don’t park your car under one in May) and is the major nectar source for honey here along with the locust (tree not cicada insects) and the blackberry blooms. The honey bees zoom industriously back and forth out of their hive to every bloom in a 2 mile radius doing the waggle dance inside the hive to tell the others exactly where the best nectar is. Last year, the freeze devastated the blooms and the year before a terrific wind storm knocked them off in their prime so for now, bee keepers like me say…Yay! The tulip poplar blooms!

PS The beehives are a little over a half mile away from Cloud 9 and Heavenly Hideaway cabin so have no fear if you don’t like honey bees. They are not aggressive unless you’re a bear. Upon renter request, I’ll take you in the hives, with full protective gear, of course.