The Linden Bees Have Been Buzzzzzy

By Savannah Barker, Early Learning Teacher, and Lori O'Leary, Elementary Teacher

The Alvéole beekeepers stopped by for a visit a couple of weeks ago to check on the bees and take care of the annual honey harvest. The beekeepers had a large audience of elementary students and faculty on the roof during recess time. We watched calmly as the beekeepers blew smoke into the hive to calm the bees down, took out the frames that were filled with honey and shook off any bees trying to hang on to the frames. The students (and teachers) were eager to ask questions about the bees, the process of harvesting honey, and the honey-filled frames that the keepers were taking away. Some of the younger students even had the opportunity to touch the wax on the frames and look at the bees up close.

One of the beekeepers also conducted a workshop about urban beekeeping with JK–Grade 6 students. She told the students about the importance of bees in the environment, showed them a baby honey bee, and let some of the students try on the beekeeping gear. There were so many questions from the students and teachers that the Q&A session went for almost 30 minutes!

• Linden probably has about 50,000 bees on our roof?
• 95% of the bees are female and they do all of the work?
• the life of a worker bee is about one month?
• honeybees only make about one-and-a-half teaspoons of honey in their lifetime?

We are so grateful to Alvéole for providing us with the opportunity to continue having our rooftop hive, and we are looking forward to participating in the honey extraction process during their next visit in November.

Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming Honey Sale!

Photo credit: Savannah Barker and Lori O'Leary.