The next afternoon, the queen mated. The rosy color in her cheeks when she returned home told me that her flight had been a success. We gave her no time for a cigarette, however, as we quickly rushed her back into the hive to feed her and prepare her for her main duty, bearing children.
Having successfully reared a new queen, the atmosphere in the hive became calm and content once more. Queen Brandi soon began laying eggs, and the nursery was bustling with activity. Crops had slowed, but were still good. Besides, we still had fewer mouths to feed than normal, due to the recent swarm.
As the leader of the queen's entourage, my duty was to make sure that her needs were met. I also had to protect her if her safety was threatened. Though I longed to see the outside world, I knew that I had a very important job to do right now. Excitement was headed my way very soon.
Late one afternoon, shortly after Brandi had taken over as queen, our hive was attacked. Betty told me of the intruder while I was attending to the queen in the nursery.
"Billie," she said frantically, "the guards up in Surplus Food say that we're under attack! A Honey Thief just tore the roof off and removed the surplus food. We've begun counterattacks, but he's still penetrating deeper into the hive. Plus, there seems to be a fire somewhere, but no one's found the cause. You must hide the queen."
"Honey thieves? What are they doing here so early? It's only mid-summer. Send all the guards to the top immediately. I'll take the queen to the basement. Good luck!"
Honey thieves were a recurring problem, but they usually didn't show up until the fall, when there are no more crops coming in. It's especially dangerous for us, because they usually take most of our food supplies and, since there's no more food coming in, we have to survive all winter on whatever is left. Not only do they take our food, but they also destroy the interior construction of the house and often times leave things in total disarray. It takes several days to recover from such an encounter. This unexpected attack was most disturbing.
I had little time to consider this, however, because as we were rushing to the basement, the nursery just above us flew off and we were exposed to the light and smoke. I glanced back and saw the face of the honey thief peering in.
"Quick, to that dark corner, Your Majesty!" I needed to protect her at all costs. We made for the corner as our home came apart around us, frame by frame. This seemed to be a full-scale attack. Honey thieves can be difficult to defend against, as their rough outer skin seems to be impervious to our stings. Our only chance is to find a crack or a hole in the outer skin and get at the soft inner skin where our weapons can do much greater damage. When we find that weakness, we attack it relentlessly. I could only hope that our troops would soon find one, because we were running out of places to hide the queen.
Just then, the lower hive body was lifted up and we were exposed on the floor. "Everyone scatter!" I yelled, but I was too late. The honey thief had the queen in hand and was poking at her with something. I rushed at his face in a fury, but I couldn't reach his soft skin to deliver my fatal blow. I darted noisily around his head, hoping to distract him. Abruptly, he dropped the queen back on the basement floor. I flew back to her side.
"Are you okay, Brandi?"
"Yes, yes, I think so. My back is just wet, but I don't hurt. Am I bleeding?"
"No. I don't know what it is. Your back is covered in some kind of sticky wet substance." I tasted it. "It's not food."
In minutes, the hive was back together again. That's one thing about honey thieves, they don't usually kill a hive. It's like they know that if they kill us, there will be no more honey, so they try to keep us alive or do as little damage as possible, anyway.
As we attempted to get the house back in order, I asked a passing guard bee what the preliminary numbers were on our losses.
"Well," she said, "the food stores all seem to be intact. Everything's still there, practically untouched. We did lose four bees in the attack, however, and two more were killed when the house came apart." She hesitated, "Betty was one of them."
I stood in shock. Not Betty! She was just a house bee, not even involved in the hive defenses. How could this happen to her?
It does though. That's the tragic fact in these type of attacks, the innocent lives that are lost. I mourned for her.
We set to the arduous task of getting the hive back in order. Repairs had to be made, plus clean-up, plus care for the injured and disposal of the dead. In a few days, things were back to normal again.
The queen held a ceremony one night after work had resumed as usual. The colony gathered round as she recognized those who were lost in the attack. I listened with sorrow, but also pride... that our hive had withstood the attack and the queen was alive and well.
Lost in this reverie, my ears perked up when the queen mentioned my name.
"And I'd especially like to thank Billie, Head of the Queen's Court, for her heroic defense of her queen. If not for her quick thinking and brave actions in a time of grave danger, I may not be here today. Thank you, Billie."
The crowd buzzed with applause as I sat blushing and embarrassed. Brandi was not through yet, however. She continued on:
"In gratitude for your heroic service, I'd like to make you an offer. Though you have been with me from Day One, and I can hardly imagine my Court without you in it, I know that it is your dream to be a field bee. Therefore, if you wish it to be, it shall be."
I nodded in acceptance, overjoyed, and the hive filled with applause once again.
Having successfully reared a new queen, the atmosphere in the hive became calm and content once more. Queen Brandi soon began laying eggs, and the nursery was bustling with activity. Crops had slowed, but were still good. Besides, we still had fewer mouths to feed than normal, due to the recent swarm.
As the leader of the queen's entourage, my duty was to make sure that her needs were met. I also had to protect her if her safety was threatened. Though I longed to see the outside world, I knew that I had a very important job to do right now. Excitement was headed my way very soon.
Late one afternoon, shortly after Brandi had taken over as queen, our hive was attacked. Betty told me of the intruder while I was attending to the queen in the nursery.
"Billie," she said frantically, "the guards up in Surplus Food say that we're under attack! A Honey Thief just tore the roof off and removed the surplus food. We've begun counterattacks, but he's still penetrating deeper into the hive. Plus, there seems to be a fire somewhere, but no one's found the cause. You must hide the queen."
"Honey thieves? What are they doing here so early? It's only mid-summer. Send all the guards to the top immediately. I'll take the queen to the basement. Good luck!"
Honey thieves were a recurring problem, but they usually didn't show up until the fall, when there are no more crops coming in. It's especially dangerous for us, because they usually take most of our food supplies and, since there's no more food coming in, we have to survive all winter on whatever is left. Not only do they take our food, but they also destroy the interior construction of the house and often times leave things in total disarray. It takes several days to recover from such an encounter. This unexpected attack was most disturbing.
I had little time to consider this, however, because as we were rushing to the basement, the nursery just above us flew off and we were exposed to the light and smoke. I glanced back and saw the face of the honey thief peering in.
"Quick, to that dark corner, Your Majesty!" I needed to protect her at all costs. We made for the corner as our home came apart around us, frame by frame. This seemed to be a full-scale attack. Honey thieves can be difficult to defend against, as their rough outer skin seems to be impervious to our stings. Our only chance is to find a crack or a hole in the outer skin and get at the soft inner skin where our weapons can do much greater damage. When we find that weakness, we attack it relentlessly. I could only hope that our troops would soon find one, because we were running out of places to hide the queen.
Just then, the lower hive body was lifted up and we were exposed on the floor. "Everyone scatter!" I yelled, but I was too late. The honey thief had the queen in hand and was poking at her with something. I rushed at his face in a fury, but I couldn't reach his soft skin to deliver my fatal blow. I darted noisily around his head, hoping to distract him. Abruptly, he dropped the queen back on the basement floor. I flew back to her side.
"Are you okay, Brandi?"
"Yes, yes, I think so. My back is just wet, but I don't hurt. Am I bleeding?"
"No. I don't know what it is. Your back is covered in some kind of sticky wet substance." I tasted it. "It's not food."
In minutes, the hive was back together again. That's one thing about honey thieves, they don't usually kill a hive. It's like they know that if they kill us, there will be no more honey, so they try to keep us alive or do as little damage as possible, anyway.
As we attempted to get the house back in order, I asked a passing guard bee what the preliminary numbers were on our losses.
"Well," she said, "the food stores all seem to be intact. Everything's still there, practically untouched. We did lose four bees in the attack, however, and two more were killed when the house came apart." She hesitated, "Betty was one of them."
I stood in shock. Not Betty! She was just a house bee, not even involved in the hive defenses. How could this happen to her?
It does though. That's the tragic fact in these type of attacks, the innocent lives that are lost. I mourned for her.
We set to the arduous task of getting the hive back in order. Repairs had to be made, plus clean-up, plus care for the injured and disposal of the dead. In a few days, things were back to normal again.
The queen held a ceremony one night after work had resumed as usual. The colony gathered round as she recognized those who were lost in the attack. I listened with sorrow, but also pride... that our hive had withstood the attack and the queen was alive and well.
Lost in this reverie, my ears perked up when the queen mentioned my name.
"And I'd especially like to thank Billie, Head of the Queen's Court, for her heroic defense of her queen. If not for her quick thinking and brave actions in a time of grave danger, I may not be here today. Thank you, Billie."
The crowd buzzed with applause as I sat blushing and embarrassed. Brandi was not through yet, however. She continued on:
"In gratitude for your heroic service, I'd like to make you an offer. Though you have been with me from Day One, and I can hardly imagine my Court without you in it, I know that it is your dream to be a field bee. Therefore, if you wish it to be, it shall be."
I nodded in acceptance, overjoyed, and the hive filled with applause once again.
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