The Summer Solstice is upon us. A time to honor the sun and the warmth she provides. Our planet has lovingly tilted towards her and is literally basking in her rays of light. Nature beckons us to heed her calling and wander outside to discover, delight and renew our senses.
When you feel the sun fill your body with its warm and light, you are connecting with a primal need we all have. Our bodies, just like those of plants and animals need sunlight to grow. A little sunshine every day is ideal if we are to reap the benefits of the Vitamin B transmitted. Our health is maintained by the circadian rhythm ruled by the light of the sun and her sister moon. Most days we are unaware of how very much we are affected. Sleep specialists advise us for our optimal health, we should wake to the sunrise and wind down our minds and bodies come sunset. Most of us don’t— but you know who does? Honeybees. (Yes, we talk about them as if they’re people and yes, they’re actually animals. But technically speaking- we are too!)
Honeybees love the sun! Some beekeepers have their hives face the east so their honeybees are greeted by the sun at daybreak. Others position their hives towards the south so their hives benefit from the maximum amount of sun all day. In Hawaii, it never gets too hot for our bees. Back on July 14, 1957 it reached 98 °F, certainly a scorcher for beachgoers, but bet the honeybees were just fine.
On hot days of beekeeping here on the island, we like to wear a veil to cover our face and chest, but it’s just too uncomfortable to wear a full bee suit. (Plus, our girls are so friendly, we never worry about getting stung.) We always have our Protect Stick in our back-pocket and use it on our hands and anywhere we might need a little extra protection from too much sun or wind. When our work is done, we treat our skin to the After Sun Face & Body Lotion, made with organic aloe butter, raw honey, beeswax and botanicals— it’s a soothing drink of cool skin hydration.
Today is a happy day for our honeybees! The Summer Solstice is their busiest day of the year. We honor them as we do the glorious sun that makes the flowers bloom, provides us with spectacular sunsets, and warms our bodies and spirits. We wish you much Aloha on this Summer Solstice and a fun and safe summer season!