Out of all the interesting artifacts in the Natural History
Museum, the most appealing to me was the bee tree located outside in the
Wildlife Garden. While walking around the garden dodging every insect that came
my way, I noticed a tree stump with a door panel on it. My curiosity got the
best of me, so I decided to approach this door to discover the mystery that lied
inside. It came to my attention that there was a whole colony of bees living in
the tree! I didn’t necessarily know that at first, but I was well informed
after reading the didactic.
I contemplated whether or not to open the door due to the
fact that the sign clearly stated there was a possibility of a bee flying up to
me. I paced back and forth for about two-three minutes until I was able to
summon up the courage to open the door. My paranoia reached an all-time high
when I put my hand on the handle. Since I had already gotten this far, there was
no way I was backing down. So I went for it, swung open the door, and witnessed
an amazing sight.
Bee trees are modern day, manmade hives that help bees swarm
more frequently to increase the amount of honey, beeswax, and eggs they produce.
This particular bee hive consists of about 10,000-50,000 bees. The population
of bees within the tree is dependent on “temperature and the seasonal patterns
of flowers” (Bee Season). Bee trees are able to withstand extreme temperature
changes more efficiently than the standard beehive.
This particular bee tree has a colony of honey bees. Only a
special kind of honey bee is able to live in a bee tree. Trees provide nectar
and pollen that is essential for the survival of these little critters. With
the nectar from the tree, they are able to produce honey. An individual bee can
visit between 50-100 flowers in a single trip and are able to source nectar as
far as five kilometers away. Once the bees find a good source of nectar, they tell
the bees back at the hive by communicating with each other though “dances,
vibrations, and body chemical signals” called a waggle dance (How Bees
Communicate).
Bees pollenate while traveling from plant to plant. By transferring
pollen, they are able to help plants reproduce and create a healthier habitat
for both wildlife and themselves. There are more than 3,310 species in the
Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum. The honey bees in the bee hive
contribute to the health of these plants.
Overall, I found this bee tree vastly interesting to learn
about. Although it took me quite some time to actually open the door to the bee tree hive, it was surely worth viewing. I not only overcame an obstacle of fear, but
I was able to witness an extraordinary sight of bees at work.
http://www.beeculture.com/bees-in-trees/
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