Busy as a bee; a hive of activity, making a beeline. Humans and bees have lived together for so long that the habits of the bees are part of our language.
And when I went to feed my bees recently, I could see why.
Lately I've been feeding them their sugar water in the morning half-light before work. It's chilly then, and the bees are down inside the hive huddling together to keep warm, so I haven't seen them at work for a while.
But the other weekend it was sunny, and they were flying far and wide collecting pollen, which they pack into the pollen baskets on their legs and bring back to the hive. The day I watched, they were bringing lots of dark orange pollen, which I think is from gorse, and a creamy white one I couldn't even guess at.
Whipping the roof off the hive, I checked the feeder that sits on top of the honey boxes, which are known as supers. It was empty of syrup, but still full of bracken, put there to minimise the drowning of worker bees, giving them a way to crawl above the tide. I took it off to have a good look at the super below and make sure things were all right inside the hive.
The hard-working girls had been busy filling it with honey, and with a few more warm days they would have enough to get them through the winter. I put the feeder back on and slowly poured a flood of syrup inside it, trying not to drown any bees that were crawling about in the bracken. However, there were still a few casualties.
Then it was back on with the hive mat (a wooden board that helps keep the bees warm and dry) and the metal lid. Exactly the same procedure for the next hive, except there were more bees caught in the syrup, so using a straw I fished out as many as I could and set them down where they could clean themselves up, or be cleaned by their sister bees.
After the work was done, I stood quietly watching them work. They're docile wee things, and don't mind me as long as I am quiet and gentle, so I've never had a bee in my bonnet (well, hood, actually) - no stings so far.
The neighbours must wonder what I'm doing if they see me in my white bee suit, standing between the two hives looking down. I'm just doing it because I think my girls are the bees' knees.
• National Bee Week runs from May 30-June 3. New bee-friendly wildflower seed packets are available, giving you a chance to help your local bees and the ecosystem. Order from www.wildforage.co.nz