Bees



Keeper vacuuming bees out of tree

 Last Thursday night began an amazing new development here at the club. The "bee tree" to the right of 11 fairway had a major limb fall which exposed the hive that was located in the trunk. With the recent rains on the horizon, the hive needed to be moved immediately so it would not wash away.

Our horticulturalist Bobbi, acted quickly. She called in a beekeeper to remedy the situation on Friday. 17,000 bees needed to be saved! These bees keep much of our local plant life thriving. I would hate to imagine how devastating our landscape would be if the bees lost their home.


Honey comb removed from "bee tree"

 First the keeper vacuumed as many bees as possible, hoping to capture the Queen. If the Queen is not cared for correctly, the entire swarm could be sacrificed.

Next the honey comb was removed. The honey in the trunk was left for any remaining bees to live on until they found their new home. It was important that we kept the new home on Pinehurst property. We left it up to the beekeeper to decide the best site as long as it did not interfere with golf.



New bee house on Windmill Hill



Windmill hill is the new site for our bees. A new home was placed on the east side of the scrub oak trees on hole #16. The trees help protect the  

home from the prevailing winds. It also sits on the south side of the hill which should help with winter survival.

Three days later all signs point to success. The new house is swarming with bees! It is important that you do not get too close to either location at this time. The old tree on 11 will need to be maintained this week and cleaned up. Eventually the bees will realize their home has moved and move on themselves.

The new house will take some adjusting. Please avoid golf activity in that location as this is a sensitive location.