Mark Robinson isn't exactly the excitable type. But even beneath his mesh hood, his eyes clearly lit up.

"This is neat," he said, grinning.

He was holding a slat covered in bees constructing a honeycomb. This was the first time Robinson and his wife, Carol Modugno, witnessed their honeybees taking the first steps toward making a thriving hive.

The next step: honey.

By starting up five bee hives, Robinson and Modugno are doing their part to help a critter that has seen nothing but hard times.

It's almost impossible to find a honeybee in the wild. Those you might see around your flower garden likely come from a hive maintained by a commercial or hobbyist beekeeper.