When Welsh beekeeper Margaret Bell passed away at eighty-two, her son Colin followed a heartfelt beekeeping tradition: he visited her hives to tell the bees.
Telling the bees is a centuries-old practice in Britain—when a beekeeper dies, a family member is graciously expected to inform the bees, or they might leave or stop producing honey.
On the morning of her funeral, Colin gently stood by his mother’s hives, knocked three times, and softly said,
“Your mistress is gone.”
What happened next was truly touching.
As the funeral cortege slowly made its three-mile journey from the church to the village cemetery, a swarm of bees—a dark, humming cloud of tens of thousands—appeared above and inched along with the procession, moving as if they knew where they were headed and why.
They followed faithfully all the way to the grave, hovered during the service, and then quietly dispersed.
Local beekeepers and scientists have come up with various explanations involving swarm behaviour, pheromones, and chance, yet none fully capture the awe felt by those witnessing the event.
Margaret loved her bees deeply, spending forty years caring for them, talking to them daily, and working tirelessly across seasons to keep her colonies healthy. The bees she nurtured faithfully attended her farewell.
Whether by science or a sense of reverence, that’s what unfolded.
This remarkable story made headlines across Wales, Britain, and around the world, eventually settling into the quiet spaces of the internet where stories that touch something real often live on.
It’s a reminder—whether you’re a lifelong beekeeper or someone who sees bees in the garden—that the natural world holds a gentle, honouring presence that can surpass explanation.
Margaret was laid to rest in her hometown’s churchyard, and after the funeral, the bees returned to their hives.
In spring, they produced the most generous honey harvest in Margaret’s family history, and Colin left a jar on her grave, a simple act of remembrance.
Customs and Ritual Elements
Allegedly, there are various customs, rituals and consequences.
One of these is to tell the bees, you’d gently tap on the beehive and speak softly, kind of like sharing gentle news, to let them know about the passing.
Most folks would use a calm, serious tone, and it was quite common to say the name of the person who had passed and share a brief message.
Black crepe or cloth would be draped on the hive as a touching sign of mourning.
Sometimes people left flowers or a little honey near the hive to show respect.
Consequences of Not Telling the Bees
If you forget to tell the bees, tradition says they might feel upset. They could leave, stop producing honey, or even pass away. That would be quite a challenge for the beekeeper, as bees are essential for both honey production and pollination.
Some folks believed that bad luck or illness could come to the family if the bees weren’t informed. Including the bees in family events helped keep the hive healthy and the home feeling safe.
