IN Millcreek Fall 2019 | Page 35

Mark Your Calendar THE ASBURY WOODS HONEY HARVEST IS SCHEDULED FOR 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M. ON SEPT. 21. Admission is free for members and $3 for non-members. Purchase tickets at the door. The Honey Harvest sponsors are the Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), J. Thomas Tree Service, Inc., and A.J. Grack Business Interiors. For more information on the Honey Harvest or the other programs offered at Asbury Woods, visit asburywoods.org. for middle school children ready for “I’ve been the challenge of some exciting science experiments. teaching a Guests of all ages can also tour Asbury beekeeping class Woods’ apiary, watch bees in the indoor observation hive, browse tabletop for 17 years. booths, and, of course, taste several types of honey that are produced locally. The first few HOW HONEY GETS FROM years we had THE BEE TO THE JAR about a dozen Guests at Honey Harvest can also attend honey extraction demonstrations people. Since and learn how beekeepers prepare honey 2006 we’ve sold for sale. At the end of summer, the out every year.” honeycombs in a beekeeper’s hive frames Formal sessions during the event are geared toward adults interested in backyard beekeeping. Snarski adds that at past events, members of the Northwest PA Beekeepers Association set up tabletop displays to provide information on the topic but beginning last year, “we decided to have it come to life with a discussion.” The lectures include details on how to get started as a beekeeper, the supplies you need, what to expect, and where to learn more and make connections with experienced beekeepers. Schroeck notes that people are also welcome to ask questions and learn through informal discussions. “Some people ask what they can do to help the bees,” he says. “One thing I often suggest is to avoid weed killers on their lawns. Plants such as white Dutch clover and dandelions provide food for bees when other blossoms are gone—it is OK to fertilize lawns, but not use the weed killers.” Kids who attend Honey Harvest enjoy interactive learning stations in the Discovery Zone. These STEM activities are designed for young children to explore through touch and activity as well as are full and ready for harvesting. It represents a season of work for the bees that collect nectar from flowers, add some enzymes, and store it in a honeycomb by sealing it in a cell of the honeycomb with wax. The constant fanning of bees’ wings causes evaporation, forming honey. The color, aroma, and taste of honey come from the type of flower that provided the nectar. To harvest the honey, the beekeeper breaks all of the wax cappings, either with an automated machine or an uncapping knife—which may be heated to make the job easier. Beekeepers often save the “capping wax” to make candles or other products. Beekeepers then spin the uncapped frames in a honey extractor to remove honey by centrifugal force. Then, they strain the honey to remove remaining bits of wax. The frames usually contain crystallized or unripened honey, which the beekeeper will leave on the frame for the bees to use in future honey production—and that guests can enjoy at the next Honey Harvest at Asbury Woods. n MILLCREEK ❘ FALL 2019 33