Honeybees settling into new home at A-B Tech

Press release from A-B Tech:

Honeybees have officially made a home at A-B Tech after three instructors, who also happen to be beekeepers, built some hives on campus for the educational opportunities they will provide.
 
Erik Moellering (English), Josh Littlejohn (Sustainability Technologies), and Russ Palmeri (Biology) are the sole managers of the hives.  Once the colonies are fully established, these A-B Tech instructors will host a variety of educational events, ranging from presentations to bee yard field trips.

“From an agricultural perspective, honey bees are integral pollinators who currently face a variety of environmental threats.  High among these threats are pesticides—particularly neonicotinoids—and other pests and diseases,” said Moellering.
 
The hives are protected by an electric fence on campus.
 
According to Moellering, the honey bee colony, best classified as a “superorganism,” is a biological marvel.  The level of coordination and communication and the biological means the bees use to achieve this is truly magnificent.
 
“As an English instructor, I’d be remiss if I neglected to mention that the honey bee colony is ‘poetic’ in the truest sense of the word:  prismatic, mystifying, and urgently alive. Thoreau wrote, ‘The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams,’ and this brief statement captures well the reverence and humility felt by those willing to care for the honey bee.  Oh, and one may also get stung.  There’s a lesson in that,” he said.  
 
The instructors plan on introducing the bees to biology courses and STEM Friday presentations during the semester. “We also plan to make use of some microscopy equipment in the college’s labs to examine morphology, disease, and other biological aspects.  Because of the complexity of the honey bee colony, there is the potential to involve a variety of other disciplines, such as Mathematics (comb geometry and navigational techniques), Social Sciences (colony communication and reproduction), and Humanities (cultural role of the honey bee throughout history),” Moellering said.

As the colonies strengthen, they plan to build the number of hives and hope to build partnerships with local honey bee organizations and clubs.  Currently, the project is sponsored by Wild Mountain Bees (http://www.wildmountainbees.com/) and Brushy Mountain Bee Farm (http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/).