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