During the global pandemic, a lot of us have found ourselves stuck at home with not a lot to do. For most of us, that means catching up on all the movies and television that you keep meaning to watch but never have the time to do. Others, who maybe have wanted to keep a bit more active, may have picked up a new hobby or revisited an old one that they'd stopped doing. One, perhaps surprising, hobby that's seeing a noticeable boost right now, especially among celebrities who find themselves at home instead of onset, is beekeeping. Chris Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, and Samuel L. Jackson are just a few of the people who have their own hives.
A new story in THR details how, with many film productions shutdown and many in Hollywood finding themselves with more time at home, they're finding a relaxing hobby in beekeeping. Chris Hemsworth and David Beckham use something called a Flow Hive which is apparently the hot new option for beekeeping. Scarlett Johansson apparently got started beekeeping when her Marvel Cinematic Universe co-star Samuel L. Jackson gave her a hive as a gift.
Southern California, where a lot of celebrities obviously live, is apparently, a great place for keeping bees. Because it stays pretty warm year-round bees are happy there and thus there's a significant population. This means that if somebody wanted to start a hive they wouldn't need to import bees from elsewhere. One can simply put out the box and the bees will follow.
Beekeeping requires constant attention to keep bees happy and keep the level of honey under control, which may be why the hobby is growing so much right now as people have simply had the time to devote to it that they might not otherwise have done. It's not a cheap gig though. The hive can cost several hundred dollars to maintain and you need to buy specialized gear, like the suit that will keep all you pet insects from murdering you. it's also recommended that one take classes or read up to learn how to do it right.
I have friends who keep bees and I have to be honest I've never really understood the idea of keeping a bunch of insects that can injure you in a box near where you live. I love honey as much as the next person and I'm sure getting it fresh from the hive is just amazing, but I think I'm willing to just let it go and get my honey from the store.
But if you're looking for something to do with all your new free time, maybe get some bees? It's a thing you could do I guess if you're not deathly allergic.
