Bee Club

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Bee Club?

A: The Bee Club is for students and teachers interested in bees and beekeeping. We will meet throughout the year to check on the bees, observe the stages of brood development, feed them during the winter, and to try to spot the queen (lots of fun!). Join the Google Classroom by entering this code: 2z3t45e The Bee Club is not a graded class; Google Classroom is just a convenient way to communicate with everybody, distribute information, and post updates about the hive.

Q: Where is the beehive be located?

A: The hive is in Mr. Branham's room (215) upstairs. Bees prefer a dark hive with no outside light getting in (they communicate primarily by smell/pheromones) so the hive is covered except when we are observing the bees.

Q: Isn't it dangerous to have bees inside the school?

A: The design of the observation beehive is such that the bees are not be able to get into the building. The only way for the bees to get into or out of the hive is by way of a PVC pipe through the wall to the outside. The wood and plexiglass hive body inside the building is completely sealed so we can see the bees but they cannot get out inside the school.

Q: Who takes care of the bees?

A: Since they are in my room, I am the primary caretaker but Mrs. Looper has experience with bees also. We are also supported by The Carolina Honey Bee Company in Travelers Rest and the bees are very self-sufficient anyway.

Q: How much did the hive cost?

A: It cost EHS nothing! We applied for and received a grant from The Bee Cause Project which includes all equipment and it pays for the bees themselves and all first year costs. The only ongoing cost is sugar water to feed the bees in the late fall and winter and varroa mite treatments.

Q: Can we get honey from the hive?

A: Unfortunately, we can't. Observation hives have limited space which cannot be expanded so all the honey that the bees make is for them to eat.

Q: What if I see bees around the school grounds?

A: Honeybees are not aggressive and will not bother you if you do not bother them. Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets, however, are more aggressive. Before you swat or spray a flying insect, please make sure that it is not a honey bee! Come see the bees so you know what they look like.

Q: What if I see a really big ball of bees?

A: That's a swarm! It means that the hive got too crowded so the queen and about half the workers left the hive to find a new place to live. Even though a big ball of bees may look scary, it is actually the most calm and docile behavior of bees since they have no hive to defend. The swarm will hang as a ball on a fence, tree branch, mailbox, etc. while scout bees fly off looking for a place to establish a new colony. In some time between a few hours and a couple days, the bees will all fly away to the new hive location and the remaining bees in the original hive will raise a new queen. If you see a swarm, please tell me and I can capture it to keep in reserve in case something happens to the original hive or we can sell the swarm to raise money for the school.

Q: How many bees are in the hive?

A: Tens of thousands! It's like guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar - people always underestimate the number. During the spring, the queen may lay up to 2,000 eggs a day so the population increases dramatically but it drops in the fall and winter.

Q: Can I come see the bees and/or bring my class to see the bees?

A: Yes! All are welcome to come see the bees. I only ask that you don't interrupt my classes but feel free to come by before school, during 2nd block in first semester, during 1st block in second semester, or after school.