Long live the queen! Meet BC’s only royalty (that we know of) and learn more about the newest members of the Bethlehem High School community: the honey bees.

An observational honey bee hive was recently installed in the high school’s Library Media Center where students can observe the inner workings of a functioning bee colony.

Bees are able to leave the hive through a vent to the courtyard outside of the LMC  to gather pollen and nectar which will be brought back to the hive to keep it functioning. Students are able to observe the bees secreting beeswax, building honeycomb, caring for the queen, feeding larvae, keeping the hive clean, and of course, producing honey. 

The idea for a beehive at BCHS was conceived when high school science teachers Jamie Rowe, Adam Ayers, Charles Evans and Rachael Rehbit attended a workshop on honey bees as part of the Master Teachers Program. Science teacher Adrienne Ladd was able to secure a grant from the Bethlehem Garden Club to purchase the hive and Capitaland Glass was gracious enough to donate the glass needed to complete the hive. The district’s Operations and Maintenance team adapted an area in the LMC to mount the hive so that the students can easily observe the bees.

Mrs. Rowe, Mr. Ayers and Mrs. Ladd plan to incorporate lessons on the importance of pollinators into their science curriculums. They will work with students in their science classes to develop and plant a pollinator garden in the courtyard. Along with beautifying the courtyard, the garden will provide the bees and other pollinators with the food they need to continue making honey in the hive.