Library Beehives: Will They Return? 

Bees and beehives play an important role in a habitat’s ecosystem—whether that be honey bees, bumble bees, or solitary bees—as they are crucial for biodiversity and pollinating plants. Because of pollination, plants are then able to produce fruit, vegetables, seeds, and debatably most important for people: food crops. Therefore, bees are then also a major contributor when it comes to agriculture. Not only are beehives rented by the millions to pollinate farmers’ crops, but in addition, they increase yields to honey industries. Honey bees contribute $24 billion every year to U.S. agriculture and produced 161.8 million pounds of raw honey in 2016. 

However, honey bee populations have been declining since 2006, almost 16 years ago, as entire colonies started disappearing and worker bees began abandoning their queen. This occurrence is called the “colony collapse disorder.” Unfortunately, the specific causes behind this are still unknown. Scientists have speculated that pesticides used in industrial agriculture, natural habitat loss, and pests that destroy hives (like varroa mites, small hive beetles, and honey robbers) and the spreading of disease are what have been causing the bee populations to have this colony collapse disorder. Whatever the central causes are, the vast majority of bee species are now listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

The case for this beehive is created from solid wood and “plexiglass”, a shatterproof, plastic-like material that secures the honey bees living inside. There are removable, wooden frames which make up the foundation of the structure. They each contain honeycomb patterns for bees to be able to build beeswax combs. These combs are then used by the hive for raising new bees, as well as storing pollen, nectar, and honey. 

In order to travel and pollinate from flower to flower, the bees are also given a tube that goes out through the wall and connects to the case, which allows them to maneuver outside. In addition to the tube connecting to the environment, the honey bees have ventilation holes opening up to the fresh air that are essential to keeping the hive healthy. These holes are screened to keep the people outside safe from accidentally angering the bees. As for the part of the case that opens out towards the interior, the entire structure is mounted to the wall and can be rotated so that both sides of the hive can be observed. 

Before the pandemic, the beehive was removed from the Niskayuna High School in order to be taken care of properly by apiarists, or beekeepers. They had contracted a certain disease common in bees, and ever since the school closed for remote learning, the observation hive’s bees have not returned to the school’s library. However, the entire case itself, as well as the many materials and resources, are still open for viewing to students, teachers, and those who go into the library. In the future, the Niskayuna High School does plan on bringing the beehive colony back to their home in the library, where it can raise awareness on the decline of bee populations and help educate the public on its many interesting features.