Things are Abuzz in the Apiary
A report on the Foxcroft beehives
Among the varied and sundry activities offered over the weekend, perhaps the most interesting -- and certainly the sweetest -- took place in Roomies Saturday afternoon when beekeeper and faculty member Terry Meyer offered an opportunity to see a frame of honeybees up close (without fear of being stung!) and help harvest their delicious honey. An enthusiastic group of students, faculty and faculty children showed up and not only had fun spinning and tasting, 但 also learned about Foxcroft’s own apiary, the bees that live there and why honeybees have been in the news in recent years.
从2006年开始, their numbers have been in decline for reasons that have not yet been nailed down, 但 it appears to be the result of a confluence of environmental stressors -- mites, 甲虫, 农药, 生境丧失, monoculture agriculture and more -- reaching the tipping point and causing what has been named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The mysterious disappearance of thousands of bees 从 their beehives has puzzled and disturbed beekeepers 从 around the world. 这些勤劳的昆虫, along with their pollinating sisters like native bees and 但terflies are responsible for one out of every three bites of food, 更别提蜂蜜了, 花粉, 蜂蜡, and propolis that are harvested 从 hives for the benefit of humans.
While there is still much work to be done to determine the cause of CCD, one thing is certain: honeybees need our help now. Establishing hives in bee-friendly landscapes is 虽然t to be one way we can help honeybees recover, 所以两年前, Meyer proposed a Wintermission class to introduce a few Foxcroft girls to life in the hive, raise awareness of the importance of the honeybee to agriculture and the environment, and bring a beehive to campus. Two years and two Wintermission classes later, the Foxcroft apiary now includes two hives, 每个约50-60,000只蜜蜂, managed by Meyer with the assistance of graduates of her Wintermission class and students in the fledgling Beekeeping Club.
在周六, Meyer brought an observation hive, 蜂蜜萃取器, and two frames of capped honey 从 Foxcroft’s hives for a honey spinning and tasting in Roomies kitchen. The crowd that gathered was abuzz with anticipation mostly for the prospect of tasting honey straight 从 the hive, 但, as always happens when these amazing creatures are on hand, the questions began to flow. So, while some were mesmerized watching new bees emerge 从 brood cells in the observation hive, others watched Meyer prepare the frames for extraction, then helped her spin and filter the raw honey as she fielded questions 从 young and old.
回来
While there is still much work to be done to determine the cause of CCD, one thing is certain: honeybees need our help now. Establishing hives in bee-friendly landscapes is 虽然t to be one way we can help honeybees recover, 所以两年前, Meyer proposed a Wintermission class to introduce a few Foxcroft girls to life in the hive, raise awareness of the importance of the honeybee to agriculture and the environment, and bring a beehive to campus. Two years and two Wintermission classes later, the Foxcroft apiary now includes two hives, 每个约50-60,000只蜜蜂, managed by Meyer with the assistance of graduates of her Wintermission class and students in the fledgling Beekeeping Club.
在周六, Meyer brought an observation hive, 蜂蜜萃取器, and two frames of capped honey 从 Foxcroft’s hives for a honey spinning and tasting in Roomies kitchen. The crowd that gathered was abuzz with anticipation mostly for the prospect of tasting honey straight 从 the hive, 但, as always happens when these amazing creatures are on hand, the questions began to flow. So, while some were mesmerized watching new bees emerge 从 brood cells in the observation hive, others watched Meyer prepare the frames for extraction, then helped her spin and filter the raw honey as she fielded questions 从 young and old.
These frames yielded three quarts of honey, and added to the two quarts spun earlier in the year. This first honey harvest 从 Foxcroft’s apiary was small 但 successful. 更重要的是, 虽然, honeybees have a few more informed and curious advocates, 这是一件好事.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative 阀杆 program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
