As reported earlier, DuBois Center’s newest residents survived their first winter. Now with all the blooming flowers and solitude, they are thriving! The bees were allowed to keep their honey stores over the winter and their diet was supplemented with nutrients and food to ensure they had ample supplies until spring. This strategy paid off. Even though the bees consumed most of their own honey over the winter, this year they have a head start. Much of the wax foundation has been laid on the frames, which makes it much easier to ramp up honey production. John Pawloski, our head beekeeper, will be especially busy the next couple of weeks. The queens need to be moved and the hives adapted to allow for greater honey production. To learn more about the specifics, click here for John’s full report.
Last year, our bees were very aggressive toward the beekeepers. This year, they have been more mellow. This may be due to more purposeful use of the smoker, which lays down smoke that disables the ability of bees to sound the alarm to one another. NOTE: For friendly visitors who stay at least 10′ away from the hives, aggressive behavior has not been an issue.
Beekeeper John is always looking for assistance to check up on our hives. In addition this summer, he is offering small family groups of four to five the opportunity to learn more about our bees up close and personal. We have some protective suits and will be purchasing more. Proper social distancing and other safety practices will be in place and maintained. “If you have never tasted honey straight from the hive, you are missing what might possibly be the most delicious treat on Earth.” No on-going commitment is required, but once you see bees up close and personal, you will likely be hooked. Check out the video to see John in action.
For more information about helping with the hives, contact John directly at JPawloski@MSN.com. For information about the summer educational sessions for families, contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org. These sessions will be available beginning later this month, and there will be no charge for them, although donations are always gratefully accepted. Priority will be given to UCC church members and DuBois Center campers.
