If you think they take power seriously inside the White House, check out what’s going on outside. Charlie Brandts, the executive mansion’s official beekeeper and star of a new White House video, says the first bees “are doing well” this year, with two honey harvests in June alone. But there is an issue in the hive: queen “supercedure.” That’s when the colony decides the queen bee’s best days are behind her, and starts making preparations for a new queen.
Brandts says he’s keeping a close eye on the process. “I’ll evaluate her and see if she lays [her eggs] a good pattern” he says. “If not, I’ll replace her.”
Brandts, a veteran White House carpenter, was tapped for the beekeeping post by chef Sam Kass who learned Brandts kept bees at home. In a way, the White House is following a nationwide trend: Beekeeping has become increasingly popular in backyards nationwide as concerns mount over a mysterious affliction that ails them, called Colony Collapse Disorder.
In the video, Brandts demonstrates the process of harvesting honey, which also sounds political. It involves “smoking out” the bees and “spinning” the combs.
The First Hive, near the vegetable garden, is stacked on a stand that’s four feet high – about three times the normal height. Brandts, who uses a makeshift scaffold to check on his bees, says the hive was built that tall to keep it clear from visiting children and White House pets.
Brandts says the honey has been used in White House meals, and some of last year’s harvest was used as gifts for G20 spouses during last summer’s summit in Pittsburgh.
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