A Summer of Swarms

After the first swarm and the lone queen, I thought our bee encounters might be over. Instead, more swarms began arriving. For several weeks, honey bees became part of our daily routine. They gathered around the water buckets, visited the outdoor sink, explored the bee box, and filled the desert with a quiet, familiar buzz.

By July our water buckets had become gathering places. Bees arrived throughout the day to drink before returning to their temporary swarms. Some days there were so many that the quiet desert hummed with wings.

Eventually, we learned to live alongside them. Every morning we checked the trees before stepping outside. One morning, Kinja and I waited inside the van while another swarm gathered nearby, giving the bees space to carry on without wandering inside with us.

Looking back, I don't remember the summer by its heat. I remember it by the sound of bees. They arrived without warning, stayed for a few days, and disappeared just as quietly. Some may have found new homes. Others may not have. We offered water, a little shelter, and a place to rest. The rest was theirs to decide.