Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey are on a mission to help one of the tiny worker bees in our big world – and yes – I mean the actual honeybees! The two found a perfect match between their desire to revitalize abandoned land in Detroit through the Land Bank program and a new curiosity about the wonders of local raw honey.
Theirs is a story of chance and faith as they started this with a commitment to continuously say ‘yes’ to the universe. And the universe kept delivering. A little over a year ago, they wouldn’t have had an inkling of the non-profit Detroit Hives the two of them started nor did they know their future in beekeeping.
Their passion for giving back, for rebuilding Detroit and for helping to grow the bee population is evident throughout and it’s absolutely contagious. The two of them imbue the Detroit Hives motto: Work hard, stay bumble!
And some cool honeybee tips:
- Plant lavender – bees work hard and this relaxes them
- Set out a bee water park – that is, a shallow dish with some rocks or marbles and fill it, allowing the rocks/marbles to be somewhat above the surface so they can land on them and drink
- Let the lawn grow extra long in the spring. The first flowers of spring- dandelions and white clover – are the food to sustain the bees in the spring until flowers are ready
- Grow wild flowers for pollinators – Basil, oregano, mint, lemon grass, catnip, milkweed, thistles, black-eyed susans
Benefits of honey:
- Immunotherapy for allergies, especially local honey
- Pre-diabetes – helps manage blood sugar
- Boosts energy
- Increases melatonin to help with sleep
- Natural fat burner
Where to find Timothy, Nicole and Detroit Hives
Their website: Detroithives.com