Brandon and Susan Pollard consider themselves to be urban bee-wranglers.

In other words, the Texas Honeybee Guild founders herd honeybees. It sounds strange, even fictional, but the Pollards are dedicated to preserving the miniature insects that pollinate 30 percent of our food.

In 2012, Advocate photographer Danny Fulgencio captured bee-wrangling in  “Exploring the honeybee world — at a neighborhood level” in our June edition.  The images and accompanying story showcase how the honeybees’ ever-shrinking population could impact our ecosystem and even our lives.

Soothing smoke Brandon and Susan Pollard, founders of the Texas Honeybee Guild, use a smoker while tending to hives at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center just outside the city. Smoke sedates the insects, the beekeepers say, because they are hardwired to conserve energy for flight when they anticipate a hive fire. Bee smoking is an ancient practice — 15,000-year-old cave paintings show people sedating bees with smoke. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Soothing smoke Brandon and Susan Pollard, founders of the Texas Honeybee Guild, use a smoker while tending to hives at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center just outside the city. Smoke sedates the insects, the beekeepers say, because they are hardwired to conserve energy for flight when they anticipate a hive fire. Bee smoking is an ancient practice — 15,000-year-old cave paintings show people sedating bees with smoke. Photo by Danny Fulgencio