Calling all pollinators: Beekeepers of the Neuse takes Waynesborough Park by swarm
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on August 19, 2017 5:42 PM
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Beekeepers of the Neuse member Brad Moore points out where the queen of the hive is in relation to all the other bees. Moore and other members broke down how every element of the colony works.
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Joshua and Renee Arnold look at the observation colony with their daughters, Abigail and Amelia, at National Bee Day in Waynesborough Park Saturday. Families came to learn about how beehives operate and enjoy music and food.
Waynesborough Park was abuzz with excitement Saturday as families from all over gathered to enjoy music, food and learn about honeybees.
The Beekeepers of the Neuse hosted the National Honey Bee Day event, which saw throngs of people flock to the park to be educated about the busy life of bees.
National Honey Bee Day is a country-wide awareness day started by beekeepers in the United States to educate communities about honeybees and their importance.
On display was an observation hive, cased in wood and glass, so people could walk up and see the tiny bees bustling about and working hard for their queen.
Jo Daniels of the Beekeepers of the Neuse said she was pleased with the large turnout.
"We want to teach people about the importance of the honeybee to agriculture and our food sources as a pollinator," Daniels said. "We are educating the public on how important they are."
Planted around the park were signs with facts about honeybees -- the average lifespan of a bee during the working season is three to six weeks, bees can fly about 15 mph and --impressively -- a honeybee must collect nectar from about 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey.
Music for the event was provided by the Flat Mountain Dulcimers, who play folk-style music, and the band Empty Pocket, who plays a bit of everything.
There was also a performance by the DeColores Dance Group.
Baxter's Bees was on hand to sell soaps, candles and a variety of bee-related items except for honey. Beekeepers of the Neuse has the exclusive rights to sell the honey.
Food vendors included Southern Snack Shack, Cone of Ice and Bo Bo's Berries that features chocolate-covered berries. Homemade ice cream, hot dogs and hamburgers were also on sale.
Joshua and Renee Arnold, and their daughters Abigail and Amelia, came all the way from Fayetteville to see the honeybees in action and learn about how the colonies work.
Inside the observation hive, the drones and worker bees zipped around furiously to keep everything ticking along as it should.
But one bee stood out among them all -- the queen, who was busy laying her designated 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day.
Members of the Beekeepers of the Neuse were available to point out the queen to onlookers, using a flashlight to spotlight her position in the colony.
Every bee inside the hive knows its job, and dutifully carries it out, making honey, feeding and taking care of the queen and making sure the hive thrives.
Joshua said the family came to learn because he is interested in taking up beekeeping himself for many reasons, including pollinating his garden.
"We're just into nature and beehives and things like that," Joshua said. "I've actually considered one day getting into this and having my own beehive. It's something we're interested in."