Secret Life of Bees Intrigues Keepers

ELLSWORTH — Working, eating, mating, dying: a microcosm of the world is playing out in beehives everywhere.

 

From Ellsworth to the White House, people are raising bees to help local crops and flower beds as well as produce that amber-hued elixir called honey.

But, there are also others, such as Tim McCormick, caretaker at Woodlawn Museum, who keep bees for the mystery of the hive.

“When I was a little kid there was a swarm of bees that came to our yard,” he said. “It was just fascinating.”

McCormick spent his life thinking that beekeeping would be fun to try and now that he’s semi-retired he has time.

“There’s a dance they do to find the source of pollen,” he said. “It’s ritualistic and absolutely fascinating to watch. “The sociology of bees — is just incredibly interesting.”

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