Notes from the Hives
The long hard winter took its toll on our hives and by mid-March we were certain that both hives did not survive. We used these deaths as a learning opportunity and performed autopsies on the hives. Students used their powers of scientific observation to find clues that would help determine what caused the demise.
Students observed that the remaining bees were in a small cluster, covering a small area of capped brood (babies). We suspect that the bees were weakened by disease from varroa mites going into winter.
This caused many of the bees to die in the cold weather, leaving the cluster too small to effectively generate heat, therefore freezing to death.
The bees had plenty of honey stores, but there was evidence of starvation on the outer edges of the cluster. This conclusion makes sense as it was too cold for the bees to break their cluster and leave the brood to move toward the honey. Had the weather broken earlier, the bees would have had a better chance at survival.
Students cleaned the equipment of dead bees, buried the bodies of the dead, and held an impromptu ceremony to recognize the lives lost. Although the loss of our hives was sad, we will use what we learned to become better beekeepers.
As temperatures began to rise, so did our spirits with the arrival of new bees! Gabrielle and Logan did research to ensure they were prepared to introduce our bees in their new homes.
We installed a “nuc” and a package of bees. A nuc is a mini hive that contains five frames with eggs, brood, a queen, and about 10,000 bees.
A package contains only one queen and 10,000 bees.
Gabrielle, Logan, and Mrs. Fagan checked the hive (in which a package was installed) to ensure the queen was released from her cage.
It is common practice to place the queen in a cage to allow the package bees to acclimate to her pheromones. The end of the queen cage is plugged with a bit of fondant. The attendants that are in the cage with the queen will eat their way out from the inside, as the bees from the outside eat their way in. When they break through, the queen is released into the hive. This process takes approximately 3-7 days and coincides with the amount of time it takes for the package bees to accept her. As of this writing she was still in the cage. We will be certain to check on her early in the week and release her if need be.
The nuc hive is settling in very well. They are extremely gentle bees and are busily bringing in pollen. We are excited to compare the two, looking to see if there are significant differences in production later on in the season. We are hopeful for a bountiful harvest in the fall and look forward to the stewardship that beekeeping affords.
If you or your family members are curious about the bees, please contact Mrs. Fagan and the middle school beekeepers. We will gladly arrange for a tour. Should you wish to observe the bees yourself, a few common sense rules will make your experience much more enjoyable. Honey bees are by nature non-aggressive. They will be prompted to sting when defending the hive or if they are swatted. Therefore, don’t touch the hives and observe from the side, away from entrance and the flight pattern of the bees. If a bee should happen to get too close for your comfort, please don’t panic, just step back a few steps.
Important Dates & Reminders
May 17th: All literary magazine donations due
May 28th: Memorial Day —No School
May 29th: 6th Level Orientation
May 30th: Field Day
May 31st: Last day of school
June 1st, 10:30am: Graduation practice at HMS for 8th level graduating students; Graduates will be taken to the school picnic directly after
June 3rd: HMS Graduation at 2pm
