I have sourwood trees!

I'm thrilled to find out that I have sourwood trees on my property in the North Georgia mountains. Sourwood is treasured honey for those who know the difference.

Here is a close-up of a sourwood flower. You can see why it is commonly called the lily of the valley tree. In North Georgia the sourwood is peaking right now. The bloom started at the end of June.

I don't have beehives at my mountain house right now because of the bears. There are five bears that live on the mountain - three adults and two cubs. Others who live up here see them regularly.

Jamie Ellis, PhD, bee expert from UGA, told me that I would need an electric fence to keep the bears out. He suggested that I set up the fence and drape bacon on the wires. Then when the bears went for the bacon, they would be shocked and learn not to go into the fence to get the hives.

With all of this blooming sourwood (these pictures are all taken on my property), I feel determined to find out how to put hives up here next year. I have the perfect spot for two or three hives with a southern exposure looking down the mountain toward many sourwood trees and with forest behind as well.

I've gotten so accustomed to looking at my hives every day at home - it will be odd to set up hives that I only see every three weeks or so. The problems will certainly be different, more global. I'll probably have to deal with swarms, hungry bees, no close-by water source.....hmmmm......among other problems yet to be discovered.