Requiem Bee for a

Hive development

More than 60,000 bees can populate a colony. The Pollards keep several hives in Lake Highlands and dozens around Dallas. To combat the destruction of hives, the couple orders queen bees from a breeder near College Station, TX. The bees are shipped via UPS and used to split existing colonies. The purpose of hive-splitting is to maximize the foraging population. The Pollards hope it will help the bee population bounce back.

through the beekeeper’s hood Brandon Pollard prepares a smoker to soothe a cluster of hives. The smoker is filled with shredded paper and herbs, including sage. He says that, while less consequential for working micro-apiaries, allowing a smoker to give out during this process would constitute “sacrilege.”