I photographed Cindy Hodges, the beekeeper and owner of the Dunwoody based business Hodges Honey, for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges keeps bees on numerous properties around the metro-Atlanta area and on this particular day she was tending to her hives in Decatur. Cindy has close to 30 hives and can produce around 500 pounds of honey each season.
Dressed in a protective suit, Cindy Hodges wheels her cart of supplies towards the bee hives on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
Bees drink from a water feeder at Cindy Hodges' property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Dressed in a protective suit, Cindy Hodges fills a smoker with kindling as she tends to her bee hives on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
Bees fly in and out of the entrance to one of the hives on Cindy Hodges' property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Cindy Hodges smokes one of the hives on her property in Decatur before opening it to determine the status of the queen on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Bees carry pollen balls into the entrance to one of the hives on Cindy Hodges' property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Dressed in a protective suit, Cindy Hodges pulls a slat out of one of her hives as she tends to them on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
Bees collect pollen to make honey as Cindy Hodges pulls a slat out of one of her hives as she checks on the status of one of her queens on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
Bees work to make honey as they climb over newly formed queen sacks at the bottom of one of the hive slats on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Cindy Hodges marks a new queen with red coloring on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Dressed in a protective suit, Cindy Hodges pulls a slat out of one of her hives as she tends to them on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
A bee carries pollen balls as she looks for an empty opening to store it in one of the hives on Cindy Hodges' property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Dressed in a protective suit, Cindy Hodges adds a new section to one of her hives as she tends to them on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. Hodges has around 30 hives that she tends to around the Atlanta area.
Bees work to make honey as Cindy Hodges checks on a newly formed queen in one of the hive slats on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Cindy Hodges checks on a newly formed queen in one of the hive slats on her property in Decatur on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.