The team consisted of two professional bee specialists and one new assistant. The project was going to require an entire day to complete, if we did not slow down nor meet with sudden adversity.

The project involved established honeybees, with combs and brood. they ranged in habitat from structural roof lines to wall voids. The beehives were healthy with good brood patterns and solid blankets of honeybees clinging to yellow honeycombs.  The walls had to be cut to expose each colony scheduled for removal. This phase was labor intensive but the team stuck together and, by the end of the day, had removed nearly one-thousand pounds of honeycombs from 21 wild colonies.

On the ride back North to Clewiston, the team felt a great sense of accomplishment. Amy had experienced, first hand, the thrill of adventure and the marvel of dealing with one of nature's most interesting inhabitants. Titus proved, once again, his expertise in removal of bees and Raymond cherished the opportunity to observe a new generation of operators honing their apian skills.

We looked across the thousands of acres of green sugar cane ripening beneath the golden sun. The intricate network of canals brought life-giving moisture to the land and dusty roads provided access for the adventurous. Over head, a pair of eagles soared and an osprey flew over a waterway sporting a fish in its talons.

The flora here consisted of orange groves, tall palmetto prairies, and unending margins of peppertrees. To some, the prairies of South Florida may appear barren. In fact, this is one of the richest ecosystems in the entire Sunshine State. The aforementioned flora bloom continually and provide a constant supply of nectar for bees. The resulting fruits and berries then nourish both man and wild creatures alike.

Surely this is the “ sweetest “ region of Florida. The Apian Team feels blessed to have visited here and to have dealt with the wild bees south of Lake Okeechobee.