Beekeeping

How did you get into beekeeping?

When I was in the second or third grade, my parents started backyard beekeeping. My dad actually wanted to raise chicken, but only bees were allowed where we live. When I was thinking of senior research projects I could do, beekeeping felt like a good option because we have all of the equipment and supplies already. My dad's been really enthusiastic about helping me with beekeeping.

What do you do on a day-to-day basis to care for them?

It really depends on the season. When the hive first started last summer, I needed to feed the bees sugar water daily. Nowadays, it's more of a once-a-week checkup to inspect the health of the hive. They don't even need me to feed them anymore since they have their own stores of food.

Do you wear full beekeeping gear when tending to your bees?

Originally, I only wore half-gear--clothing bees can't really sting through, like a windbreak and thick pants. However, after seven bee stings, I'm on the verge to being allergic to bees so I'm in full gear now.

I understand you started a business selling honey. Can you tell me more about that?

The progression to selling honey was a no-brainer. People started asking if they could purchase honey whenever the subject came up. Even though we only have one hive, the bees made more than enough for themselves and for our family, so we started selling jars of honey soon enough. My mom, a graphic designer, helped me with the branding of our honey-selling business.

What has been the most rewarding part of beekeeping? Of writing this paper?

Beekeeping was a pretty niche hobby that wasn't too much work, but something I could get really good at. It also gave me a sense of accomplishment that was different from what I experience in school. Plus, I've always had an interest in bees, so I was able to capitalize on that interest.

Tell me a little bit about your career goals and why you decided to write this paper.

I want to major in public health since I'm interested in infectious and fungal diseases. I've always wanted to write a scientific research paper and, as I mentioned, bees have always interested me. This seemed like a good way to address all these things at once.

Have you experienced some of the issues you discuss in your paper?

Fortunately, I haven't had to deal with most of the issues that plague New Jersey that I talk about in my paper. We had to deal with mites, which were worrying, but the hive was very resilient. We also experienced swarming, which was inconvenient but manageable with the help of a professional beekeeper to re-contain the hive.

How has this research paper been different from what you had to write for you high school classes?

I had to read a lot more scientific research, like original work that involved the design of experiments and the display of numerical data, rather than reviews or argumentative pieces. I also don't think I would have written about bees for any class. Through this research I was able to learn a lot more about the why of the things my dad would often tell me.