Bees Swarm On Akron-area Mom's Belly For Dramatic Maternity Photos

NEW FRANKLIN, OH — Emily Mueller has no fear of honey bees. They’re as much a part of her life as her three kids — and her fourth that’s due in November. So, it seemed only natural that bees would be a part of the New Franklin mom’s latest maternity photos.

“You’ve heard of bee beards?” Mueller asked as she explained her rationale. “My goal was to wear a swarm of bees on my tummy.”

And, indeed, the pictures taken by professional photographer Kendrah Damis are dramatic. They show Mueller with her pregnant belly covered with 20,000 bees. In one photo, the bees seem to engulf her hand and arm as she pats her tummy.

Crazy? Not so much. Mueller and her husband, Ryan, own Mueller Honey Bee Co., a beekeeping business that has 24 hives and produces honey. Part of the business also entails going to client sites and removing unwanted hives, such as a giant hive she removed from the Summa Health Center in Akron in June. Apparently, there are folks out there who don’t necessarily share her love of honey bees. Mueller knows how to control bees when they’re swarming, she explained.

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When they swarm, that typically means they’ve grown too big for their hive, and they follow the queen bee to a new location. It also means that the bees have gorged themselves on honey and are sluggish. Also, with their bee tummies full, they are unable to bend their abdomens, and it’s difficult for them to sting.

“A swarm of bees is very gentle and docile,” Mueller explained. When they’re swarming, they’re left their last hive and are following their queen to build a new hive. Thus, “they have nothing to protect.”

Knowing that, Mueller had photos taken as she held a queen bee in a small cage near her belly. As she did so, the swarm naturally followed their queen and congregated on Mueller’s belly. Mueller has been a beekeeper for five years. She got her first hives from her father and is self-taught as a beekeeper. She also serves as the Summit County Apiary Inspector.

Although photographer Kendrah Damis and Mueller are friends, and Damis knew about Mueller’s work with bees, Damis acknowledged she was a bit wary around the bees. “It’s definitely not my element," Damis said. "It was very educational and very cool.”

Damis added that during the photo shoot, she told Mueller she was going to charge an extra $5 for every time she got stung. "I didn't get stung once," she said. "So I didn't get any extra money."

Images by Kendrah Damis Photography/Used with permission