Some of us are old enough to recall the phrase “the bee’s knees.” It’s a comment, as far as I can tell, somewhat related to the little buzzers, but not entirely. There are a variety of explanations available, but the one with which I am most familiar suggests that the bee’s knees refers to someone or something that is quite exceptional or very good. In my case, that’s the one I’ll run with. 

I’ve always been a little fascinated with the process of bee keeping. As a kid we would go to visit my mother’s parents in Springville, New York, south of Buffalo. Mother’s father, grandpa Flick, kept bees at the edge of the yard, not far from the house and barn. There were plenty of flowering trees and native flowers nearby and the hives were always active when we visited. I remember grandpa, in a pair of cut off khaki shorts and nothing else, inviting us to observe the extraction of honeycombs. With no protective gear while puffing on his always present pipe (the aroma I can still recall), he would remove a cover and reach into the hive scooping out handfuls of honey dripping wax for us to share. It was magical fun and he never got stung. I think the bees were OK to share some of their product and we were certainly happy to receive. I remember chewing the wax with honey dripping all over my hands and on my clothing.    

Well, I don’t think grandpa’s way of harvesting honey is currently employed by most bee keeping folk. Which is not to say that there are fewer bees. In fact, bees are quite plentiful right here in River City. Barters Island Bees, operated by Donna and Denny Dennison, at 957 Wiscasset Road (the old Jon Marsh Signs building), is a testament to the abundance of local honey and bee-related products. I was amazed by the number of interesting items, honey flavors and general wonderful local and Maine products. But, the honey is the “Bee’s Knees!” One of their most interesting and unique products is “Maine Mousse” which is made from 100% pure honey “creamed” into the consistency of peanut butter. Then, the magic happens when special organic fruits are mixed in creating flavors like blueberry-lemon, cinnamon, orange-cranberry and ginger. Honey butter, a childhood favorite of mine, is plain creamed honey. Ahhhhhh, the infamous honey sandwich made with Straumann Sunbeam white bread, all gooey and saturated.

In addition to the honey, gathered from many locations on Barters Island, there are lots of local and Maine crafts. Dick Macdonald stained glass, Andersen design ceramics, Sanni Norton art, and a variety of locally sourced products fill Barters Island Bee store’s colorful and creative shop, while honey bee preparer Kathy Sawtelle works diligently in a specially monitored space filling orders sold and shipped to 49 states, farmers’ markets and stores. 

Bee-ing is a growing endeavor hampered significantly by the use of pesticides which can be fatal to entire bee populations. Once introduced, chemical contamination can wipe out an entire hive. It’s very important to be careful knowing that bees are so necessary for proper pollination of so many things we eat.

For more information about bees and their prolific abilities, stop by the Bee Shop. Call at 207-350-1371 or visit the website at www.bartersislandbees, com

May the force bee with you!