• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

See Jamie blog.

  • about
  • homeschool
  • adoption
  • {subscribe}

Field Trip: Honeybees!

17 September, 2010; Filed Under: homeschool

Yesterday we had an indoor field trip/nature study about honeybees. A local beekeeper named Brian, who does presentations at many area schools, came to our church for our homeschool group. He did a great job! We have studied bees before, but Kathryn and I both learned so much!
Honeybee-1
In Roman times, honey was worth it’s weight in gold, and you could even pay your property taxes with honey! We were reminded of many of the medicinal uses of honey, too. It’s good stuff!
Honeybees
There was a queen bee in there somewhere — from Hawaii! We learned that all of our native varieties of honeybees have been wiped out, so all the ones we have here now have been imported from other places. And the queen bee trade can be pretty lucrative, it seems. His Hawaiian queen bees cost about $50, but queen bees from some areas can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
Watching Honeybees
A few of the kids got to help in the presentation, like this boy (Devin) who modeled the bee suit and pretended to smoke bees. The reason the smoking works is because the bees think there is a forest fire, and gorge on as much honey as they can eat to prepare to fly away to safety. Once their honeybee bellies are so full, they are slow and lazy, and have a very hard time stinging. Sort of like most of us after a big Thanksgiving Dinner.
Honeybees-6
In the photo below, Brian led the kids in the honeybee dance. (If you find Kathryn in there, note her enthusiastic flying; she isn’t even touching the ground!) Honeybees circle and dance to tell how far the yummy flowers are and how many there are. Scientists say that if all honeybees died, then all life on earth would die within seven years.
Honeybee Dance

As we’ve been telling Lindsey all about it, she says she wishes she went, too. 🙂

Last year I did not accomplish as many field trips as I’d hoped. This year, I want to take advantage of things like this whenever possible. If you’re in the area and want to contact Brian, you can find him at Hometown Honey; I’d highly recommend this — and I plan to visit him soon at the Farmer’s Market on the Marietta Square to buy some local honey!

Jamie

Wife, mama, homeschooler, dog-wrangler. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and strength coach. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.

Share

Related Posts:

  • Field Trip: Sheriff's Department
    Field Trip: Sheriff's Department
  • Tourists in our own town: field trip fun
    Tourists in our own town: field trip fun
  • NC Maritime Museum: homeschool field trip
    NC Maritime Museum: homeschool field trip
  • Homeschool field trip: wild bird shelter
    Homeschool field trip: wild bird shelter
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
13 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jonnia
Jonnia
17 September, 2010 10:01 am

We buy his honey from a nearby health store, and my husband worked with him many years ago! I wish we could have made the presentation. Looks like everyone enjoyed it!

Reply
Deborah
Deborah
17 September, 2010 10:32 am

This is so cool! We enjoy going to our local apiary. They’ve even taken our family on a tour. What a neat business!

Blessings!
Deborah

Reply
Deb
Deb
17 September, 2010 11:28 am

Isn’t there some bee mite or something that is killing off honeybees at an alarming rate? Did he say what is being done about that?

Very interesting field trip! Honey is an amazing, amazing food.

Reply
Jamie
Jamie
Author
Reply to  Deb
17 September, 2010 4:05 pm

Primarily pesticides on plants & fruit trees, even on our lawns!

Reply
Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
17 September, 2010 1:42 pm

Fantastic field trip! We got our first jar of local honey a few weeks ago and it is wonderful — this from someone who really doesn’t like honey. I’m really hoping my poor, allergy-prone husband and kids will see some positive effects of eating local honey soon.

Reply
Cheryl
Cheryl
17 September, 2010 4:18 pm

Looks like a fabulous field trip! Your photos here are gorgeous!

Reply
Ellen
Ellen
17 September, 2010 6:28 pm

What a great field trip! My Papa kept honeybees when I was growing up, and I’ve loved honey all my life. I can eat spoonfuls of it. But it’s also tasty mixed with butter and spread on bread. Do you ever put some in your tea? That’s good as well.

Reply
Jamie
Jamie
Author
Reply to  Ellen
17 September, 2010 7:25 pm

I never sweeten green tea, but I love it in black tea!

Reply
Dana
Dana
17 September, 2010 10:04 pm

What a great field trip! And, it seems like with so many ‘outside’ classes, we just don’t have time for many field trips. But, I do hope to take some this year. Like one to see a kid’s version of The Magic Flute in a few weeks!

(And, thanks for the comment on my 5K! It feels great to have done one and I can’t wait for #2!)

Reply
Samantha
Samantha
18 September, 2010 9:43 pm

That really sounds like a great and very worthwhile field trip. Thank you for sharing!

Samantha

Reply
Amy
Amy
5 January, 2011 11:56 pm

Hi Jamie-
Looks like a great field trip…would love to find something like that for my boys. This is my first visit to your blog..it looks wonderful!

Reply
kathy balman
kathy balman
29 January, 2012 2:52 pm

I think we have seen this guy before at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. What a fun experience.

Reply
Jamie
Jamie
Author
Reply to  kathy balman
29 January, 2012 4:06 pm

Yes, he worked there for many years! At the zoo, too!

Reply


Copyright ©2010-2021 See Jamie Blog. | All rights reserved. | See policies.
Use of original text or photos without permission is a violation of copyright.
wpDiscuz