Vineyard Haven beekeeper Tim Colon received more calls than usual this year from startled Islanders reporting swarms of bees. A swarm is awe-inspiring to witness.
Chilmark tends to be on the darker side. Edgartown is rather light, and in springtime, the honey produced in West Tisbury and Vineyard Haven is so light in color it’s almost clear.
“They’re all different, and people really like that — they like the local, local, down to the town,” Tim Colon, owner of Island Bee Company says, standing over one of his hives in the backyard of his Vineyard Haven home. Mr. Colon has 130 hives across the Island in every town except for Aquinnah. “The color all depends on what’s blooming.”
Once again, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who have participated in the Martha’s Vineyard pollinator project by helping to inventory the Island’s native bees. We are indebted especially to the volunteers who helped sample bees and generate important data—including the first recorded occurrences of over 150 species from the Vineyard.
Editor’s Note: What follows in an addendum to an the Editorial Page feature Why I Love Where I Live, published in the Tuesday Gazette.