Beehives Update

Here’s an update from Cyndi Brast on the beehive community project being done by FHHS Juniors Isabel Gabriel and Hailey Loucks…

Hailey Loucks (L) and Isabel Gabriel working on beehives – Cyndi Brast photo

Hailey Loucks and Isabel Gabriel have really worked hard on this project. The equipment for their hive was delayed in arrival, so we had to put together a hive from parts I had, and from a loaned bottom board from Colleen Howe of Mitchell Bay Farm. In spite of everything arriving at unexpected times, the honey bees were installed  in a “temporary” home. The bees arrived Wednesday and we just didn’t have time to build the hive with the parts arriving on the same day.

The queen gets special travel accommodations – Cyndi Brast photo

Hailey wasn’t able to be at the garden when we put the bees into the makeshift hive, but Conrad Bormann (our garden volunteer this past summer and beehive building expert) helped Isabel and then they met up with Hailey later in the afternoon to work on building the hive.

Once the bees have had a week or so to relax and unwind in their new location, we are going to do a hive check and transfer them into their new home. Isabel and Hailey will give their community project presentation sometime in May and hopefully Conrad will agree to help with upkeep and service of the hive and bees over the summer.

Temporary hive with a sugar-water jar. They are in a new home and haven’t had a chance to build honeycomb or store nectar or pollen yet for food, so they need a little help, hence the sugar water – Cyndi Brast photo

A big “thank you” to Marty Ahart for picking up the new hive parts that still need assembly and to Colleen Howe for some loaned equipment until we get the new hive put together. Thanks also to Conrad Bormann for helping carry hive parts and for helping the girls with putting their new hive together. It has been a BIG job and I’m so thankful for everyone helping out!

Marty Ahart, Isabel Gabriel and Conrad Bormann – Cyndi Brast photo

We have also really appreciated the community support and interest in this project. Everyone can help the bees right now by not spraying pesticides and if you’re especially inclined to bee generous, leave those dandelions blooming just a bit longer. Dandelions are a source of early nectar for the bees and other pollinators. If you are further interested in learning what plants honeybees visit at particular times of the year in our region, check out the honey bee forage map for our region (Region 2) at http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage.htm.

Cyndi Brast is a graduate student at the University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology.

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