TNSM parent Carrie Driehaus, with the Queen City Pollinator Project, helped us start TNSM’s backyard bee hives several years ago and has been taking care of them and giving programs to our students ever since. Carrie sent us an update from her work on our hives last Sunday:
“QCPP installed two new packages of bees on Sunday. Unfortunately neither colony of bees made it all the way through the winter. The national average for hive survival is about 42%, so it’s not uncommon to lose one or two hives in a year.
Honeybees fly within a 3-5 mile radius, so pesticides, especially mosquito yard sprays, are a serious concern for hive health. Other reasons a hive might not make it through a whole year are climate change (especially severe weather or unusual weather patterns) and hive pests. And, sometimes it’s just part of nature’s life cycle.
We’re not sure what happened to the hives this year, but we’re excited for a brand new year. And, though it’s easy to get down when the bees don’t make it, we still thank them and honor them for the pollinating work they did all year and the educational opportunities they provide.
I’ve attached a picture of the installation and one of the queens!
You’ll notice a yellow dot on her head. Beekeepers sometimes mark their queens so they can keep track of her and so we can tell if a new queen takes over.
Thank you to The New School Montessori for keeping the bees! I’ll be sending a list of classes that I’m offering in the fall that are appropriate for different ages with different concepts so teachers can choose, based on current lessons. -Carrie “
We are so grateful to Carrie and QCPP for this amazing experience!