Beebe -- our 1935 Bungalow on Baker Street.

[Lily left the valley]

Thankies to you both!

Kashka-Kat: one of the reasons I was so sad when we initially lost Beebe after my first viewing in October is because of all the non-painted, still in place, and not too shabby by far wood. (And, yes, bungalow!)

It's why when I saw her back on the market even though we were knee-deep dealing with inspection, permit issues and such at the Carpenter Gothic we won the bid on, I still called our realtor and asked if we could get a viewing.

We were very fortunate to find our realtor, really. I know when things were a hot mess with the REO house (42, what brought me here to the District) we had our doubts, but I learned over time he did the best with what he had to work with. I also believe that if it was meant to be, it will happen. Look at Beebe! We thought we lost her when the five bids came in before us the first time, and then she was found again when the winner backed out.

She is a she. I know it's confusing, but she's big, therefore the Queen, whereas our friend in the pail is male as he's much smaller, as that is the way with bees.

[Old house lady]

Beebe is lovely! Very happy for you - she looks worth all the aggravation. Had a feeling about 'she' - most bees are female, arent they?

[Willa]

That is a great house. Very envious of that very good kitchen !

[Lily left the valley]

Beebe is lovely! Very happy for you - she looks worth all the aggravation. Had a feeling about 'she' - most bees are female, arent they?

With the eusocial bees (like honeybees) which are often the types folks are more familiar with, Queen and workers are both female and the workers make up the predominant body of the colony.

Then there's the solitaries (like carpenter bees), which I'm just starting to delve into more so I can't yet say for certain with them. I do seem to have read more about females, but it might be because they always emphasize that with solitaries, all females are fertile. The one mention I recall off hand about males is they are the last egg(s) laid in tubular furrows, so closest to the exit. (And thus, also potentially more vulnerable while growing into adult form.)

There are a whole lot of other "social" type breakdowns of bees that I only recently started learning about. I have no idea what the gender ratios are for those. There really is so much for me to learn still.

I got curious about the ratio, actually, since you brought it up, and now I've started reading all sorts of things, like where the ratio can change for various reasons. From what little I've scanned already, it seems that the workers are still more than drones, but I still have more reading to do, as most of what I've found on that so far has to do with the social bees.

And now that I'm reporting back on this...I'm realizing this may be more than needed to be replied.

[Lily left the valley]

That is a great house. Very envious of that very good kitchen !

Thankies! My only fear for the kitchen after we've shuffled off this mortal coil is that most folks would feel positively claustrophobic in our kitchen. I have always loved galley kitchens, and Sean likes them too. So for us, it's perfect.

Yet I can easily see other folks saying "Oh, no way! We're going to have to either build out or knock down this wall because this kitchen is a joke!" Other folks would maybe say, "Oh, what a cute pantry! Now where is the kitchen?"

[Nicholas]

A lot of cool easy fixings.

So now we have two Bee Bungalows here.

[Lily left the valley]

A lot of cool easy fixings.

So now we have two Bee Bungalows here.

That we do!

[JRC]

Congratulations!

[Lily left the valley]

Thankies!

[Gothichome]

Lily, I'm with the others, your new old home retains most of its original wood work, and in great condition. Also, I see more of an evolution in the updates. I think I might be inclined to work with what's there. Preserving the evolutionary updates. Lots of pink, blue and mauve fixtures still out there.