Last week, Jordan Arata and I had the pleasure of giving a tour of the UMD Apiary. The apiary is located on the roof of a]one of the campus diners. The tour was set up by Carin Cebuluski, from the UMD Arboretum; and only one person in the tour group had any beekeeping experience. I really enjoy showing people a hive for the first time, as it is always a fun experience. Jordan and I went over a few basic safety tips and equipment explanations. Then we got started.
The weather was great that day and the bees were very active, buzzing around all over everyone. We went over some basic information about honey, pollen and brood. Then we pulled frames to find examples of each. I found some eggs, but they were very difficult for everyone else to see! We passed around a brood frame, so everyone could hold it. Of course, the highlight of the tour was when the queen made an appearance. The tour was a lot of fun, and afterwards, a lot of people had questions. Some people were even talking about starting their own hives. I would have to say it was a great success.
Photo credit goes to Carin Cebuluski.
