The creation of Bee Beard was influenced by many different people.  Hal (The Story of Hal’s Bee Trees) was the main instigator.  He started his first log hive around May or June 2011.  I was impressed that a swarm had actually picked his log hive to live in.  I liked his hands-off log hive credo…

“BEES WILL NOT BE MOVED, MEDICATED OR ROBBED OF HONEY

THE COLONY MAY SWARM AS DIRECTED BY NATURE”

I wanted to try the same thing, but not being retired I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend so much time hollowing it out.  I looked up log hives on the web and came across Gaia Bees.  I emailed Michael Thiele who gave me directions on hollowing out the log.  It was about this time that a new beekeeping friend, Terry Kelly of Berkeley, a writer, top bar beekeeper, and mushroom log…