Best way to get your buzz on
Can you hear that sound? Intermountain Peaks physicians are swarming to the find-your-zen, help-the-environment hobby of beekeeping. It could be the result of our recent merger and the sweet influence flowing from Utah: The state adopted the beehive as its official symbol in 1959 and designated the honeybee as its official insect.
Not to mention bees are widely considered to be honorable creatures — working together in a community for the good of the whole.
Sound familiar? In any case, we don’t need to fly far to get a taste for the why — our own JP Valin, MD, MHA, FACP, chief clinical officer for Intermountain Health, is an experienced beekeeper (known in the buzz biz as an ‘apiarist’) with his own flourishing backyard colony of more than 10,000 honeybees.
“We have always had summer vegetable gardens, and initially I thought this would be a great way to support pollinators and enhance our garden. So I actually took an evening class at the county fairgrounds, and learned not only how to care for bees, but about their fascinating lives,” he said.
Valin caring for his honeybee colony
“Bees are incredible and inspirational creatures. They convert pollen from flowers to delicious honey through incredible teamwork, efficiency and intelligence, and it is remarkable to watch this process through the season.
“Sometimes it almost feels bad to harvest the honey in the fall when you appreciate how much work it takes for the bees to actually make it, but I’m always careful to ensure I leave enough food for them in the hive to keep them going through the winter.
“It is really a mutually beneficial relationship — our garden provides them a source of food and we provide them with a home; in return, they help to make our garden more productive and we all get to share the delicious honey.”
We like the sound of that!
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