The New School Montessori (TNSM)
3 Burton Woods Lane
513.281.7999
www.newschoolmontessori.com
An Update on The New School Montessori Beehives
TNSM parent Carrie Driehaus, with the Queen City Pollinator Project (QCPP), helped The New School Montessori start our backyard beehives several years ago, and they have been taking care of our hives and giving programs to our students ever since. Carrie sent us an update from her recent work on our hives.
“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.
Below is 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! Carrie
We are so grateful to Carrie and QCPP. Carrie will continue to give presentations to our students each year about different aspects of bee life and how we can support all pollinators by leaving shallow trays of water out during the hot, dry summer and allowing leaf litter to linger for overwintering butterflies. We all have a part to play.
Ann Baumgardner, Communications Director