Beekeeper’s Lab: 52 Family-Friendly Activities and Experiments Exploring the Life of the Hive

350 Pages·2017·38.83 MB·English

by  Kim Lehman

BEEKEEPER’S LAB
52 FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIMENTS EXPLORING THE
LIFE OF THE HIVE
KIM LEHMAN
CONTENTS
Introduction
Overview
UNIT 1: BEEKEEPING
Lab 1: Setting Up a Hive
Lab 2: Smoker Bundles
Lab 3: Waxing Foundation
Lab 4: Make a Top Feeder
Lab 5: Drone Petting
Lab 6: Find the Queen
Lab 7: Cut Comb
Lab 8: Crush and Strain Honey Extractor
UNIT 2: HONEY
Lab 9: Sweet Dog Treats
Lab 10: Honey Butter
Lab 11: Honey Hydrator
Lab 12: Honey Straws
Lab 13: Herbal-Infused Honey
Lab 14: Honey-Tasting Party
UNIT 3: BEESWAX
Lab 15: Rolled Beeswax Candles
Lab 16: Hand-Dipped Candles
Lab 17: Tea Lights
Lab 18: Beeswax Candle Bowls
Lab 19: Beeswax Jewelry
Lab 20: Waxed-Thread Ornaments
Lab 21: Waterproof Bag
Lab 22: Leather Conditioner
Lab 23: Fire Starters
UNIT 4: POLLINATION
Lab 24: Pollination Magic
Lab 25: Dissect a Flower
Lab 26: Bee Landing Strips
Lab 27: Charged Pollination
Lab 28: Apple Pollination
Lab 29: Hand Pollinate Squash
Lab 30: Pollination Journal
UNIT 5: HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Lab 31: Throat Soother
Lab 32: Beebread
Lab 33: Propolis Tincture
Lab 34: Propolis Salve
Lab 35: Lip Balm
Lab 36: Beeswax Cream
Lab 37: Honey and Pollen Cleanser
UNIT 6: EXPERIMENTS
Lab 38: Honey Density
Lab 39: Comb Strength
Lab 40: Honeybees Up Close
Lab 41: Can Bees Read?
Lab 42: Buzz of Bees
UNIT 7: ART
Lab 43: Comb Rubbings
Lab 44: Beeswax Art Blocks
Lab 45: Encaustic Cards
Lab 46: Bees as Artists
Lab 47: Painted Hives
UNIT 8: SAVE THE BEES
Lab 48: Mason Bee House
Lab 49: Seed Balls
Lab 50: A Bee-Friendly Landscape
Lab 51: Honeybee Celebration
Lab 52: Help the Pollinators
Glossary
Resources
Contributors
Photographer Credits
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
INTRODUCTION
“There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and
true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature
than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance.”
—Henry David Thoreau
I was a free-range child. Each summer
my brothers, cousins, and I spent the
days gallivanting around our little
valley of Soap Hollow in western
Pennsylvania with flower chains
around our necks, mouths stained with
blackberries, and bare feet in constant
contact with the earth.
The delight and wonder of those days
has inspired a life filled with gardening
and herbs. With my deep connection to
nature, it was only a matter of time
before honeybees entered my world.
One captured swarm was all it took to
get me hooked on honeybees.
The connection between honeybees and humans goes back thousands of years.
We have had generations to learn about these tiny creatures yet, even with
modern technology and research capabilities, many aspects of a bee’s life remain
a mystery. It is strangely comforting to know that bees still have secrets.
Although we don’t fully understand all the workings of the hive, one thing is
certain: Human beings are inextricably linked to bees.
These tiny creatures help make a healthier, sweeter, and more beautiful world.
Some of the most nutritious foods in our diet depend on insect pollination.
Honey provides delicious treats and natural home remedies. Pollen and propolis
can be made into tinctures, extracts, and healing salves. Beeswax, elegant and
useful, is made into art, candles, and lotions.
Let’s celebrate our connection to the fascinating and humble honeybee through
simple experiments, beeswax creations, art, activities, and outdoor adventures.
Whether you are a beekeeper or honeybee advocate, I hope the labs in this book
will bring you and the children in your life a greater connection to honeybees,
beekeeping, and the many products created in partnership with bees and plants
that provide us with joy, beauty, and health.
Explore. Make. Create. Protect.
OVERVIEW
Honeybees have the starring role in the
varied projects featured throughout
this book. Whether finding the queen
in a hive, making herb-infused honey,
creating a pollination journal, or
helping bees by planting a bee-friendly
garden, the honeybee is ever present.
The labs in this book contain a list of
materials, step-by-step processes, ways
to extend the activities, suggestions for
young children, and facts about
honeybees. Additionally, some labs
include background information and
content to increase knowledge and
provide a better understanding of the activity.
Each lab is a stand-alone project, but in many cases labs can complement and
enhance each other. For instance, beeswax art blocks (Lab 44) can be used with
encaustic cards (Lab 45) and comb rubbings (Lab 43).
Some of the supplies needed for the labs are the products of the hive: honey,
pollen, propolis, and beeswax. If you are a beekeeper, you can collect, gather,
scrape, and extract these materials from your hive, taking great care to use what
you take. If you are not a beekeeper, these products can be purchased from a
local beekeeper or a health food store or ordered online.
May the world of bees and beekeeping continue to open many doors to
explorations, curiosity, and continued learning for you and your family.
Let’s celebrate honeybees!
POLLEN COLLECTION
Produced in the anther of a flower, pollen grains carry the male reproductive
cells of the plant. Pollen provides developing bee larvae with a vital food source
that is rich in protein and other essential nutrients.
• A pollen trap placed at the hive entrance makes it possible to collect pollen
from the legs of foraging bees as they enter the hive. When bees squeeze
through the wire mesh of the trap, about 50 percent of the pollen is knocked off
their legs and falls into a tray or holding compartment.
• To ensure the bees are delivering enough pollen for the brood, inactivate or
remove pollen trays for a few days every week while the bees are collecting
pollen. Remove pollen trays at all other times.
• Collect pollen from the trays daily, if possible, or at least every few days. Daily
collections will be necessary in high-humidity areas or during times of