Greencroft Communities Stories

For Karl Birky, resident of Whispering Pines at Greencroft Goshen, life has always been a little sweeter with bees. His journey into beekeeping began almost 50 years ago in eastern Ohio, sparked by a simple conversation at church.

“I said something about wanting bees, and a friend told me he had an old hive on his farm. I said, ‘If they’re honeybees, I’ll take them.’ So, I went home, made a hive, put the bees in it, and started taking care of them. I thought, this is fun! 
I kind of like this.”

Since that first hive, Karl’s bees have followed him across the country from Ohio to Colorado, then to Oregon, and now to Indiana. 

“I didn’t always have bees, but usually I did, because bees just make life better,” he says with a smile. Even now, he tends four hives at Greencroft Goshen. Despite this being more than he’s ever had before, he says it’s just the right amount to keep beekeeping a joy rather than a chore. 

“I’ve done enough work in life that wasn’t fun. I just want this to be fun,” He says. 

A typical day during honey season is surprisingly simple, according to Karl. He states, “With four hives, it takes maybe a half hour to an hour. I take out the honey frames, brush the bees off, and bring the frames inside to extract the honey. Sometimes I’ll get five gallons from a hive. One year I got ten! It’s fun, you know.”

Karl finds happiness in sharing bee facts with anyone curious enough to ask. For example, he says, “In their lifetime, a bee makes about a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey. So a teaspoon is the life’s work of twelve bees. It really puts into perspective how valuable each bee is.” 

Beekeeping, Karl admits, is not without its challenges, though. 

“The biggest concern is the varroa mite, which brings disease to the hive. Pesticides are a problem too, especially neonicotinoids. Last winter, I read that 70% of beehives died over the winter, mostly because of disease. I used to worry about getting stung, but now I get stung two or three times a year and don’t even think about it.”

But Karl believes that the lessons he’s learned from and about the hive go beyond honey and hard work. 

“The queen doesn’t make all the decisions. The worker bees do. When she gets old, they grow a new queen. And when you realize it takes about 50,000 miles of flying to make a pound of honey - and that a bee lives about 28 days, spending the last half of her life flying herself to death - it makes you think. People are like that too. We work hard, we do our best, and then we make room for others.”

Karl sees clear parallels between bee life and human community. He says, “Bees care for each other. When one finds a good flower, she tells the others. If there’s danger, they defend the hive, even at the cost of their lives. It’s a community where no one gets their way all the time, not even the queen. That’s a lesson for us.”

The hives at Whispering Pines are more than a hobby in Karl’s eyes. They’re a gift to the local ecosystem. He states, “Honeybees are major pollinators. There are hundreds of kinds of bees, but only honeybees make honey. Their work helps flowers and gardens thrive. And I think beekeeping teaches kids a lot about community and the environment, even if that’s not the primary purpose.”

For anyone curious about beekeeping, or just about finding purpose, Karl’s advice is simple: “Be curious. Don’t be afraid. Sure, you’ll get stung, but that’s how you learn and grow. If you want to be a beekeeper, just ask.”

And if you ever visit Karl’s hives, don’t be surprised by his favorite party trick! He says, “Drones are the males, and they can’t sting. Sometimes, if kids are around, I’ll pick up a drone, pop him in my mouth, and then put him back in the hive. The kids go crazy for that!”

Regardless of whether he’s tending hives, sharing honey, or teaching neighbors about the wonders of bees, Karl Birky is living proof that curiosity, courage, and community can make life a little sweeter for everyone.