The Upper Perkiomen High School is hosting an unusual set of guests for the foreseeable future: a hive of bees has taken up residence in the wall of Mr. Jim Coffey’s biology classroom.
These bees aren’t a situation to delegate to pest control, however; they were installed there on Sunday, May 6 in a special observation hive. Throughout the next several years, they will serve as a demonstration and study opportunity for the students in Mr. Coffey’s class.
Though the glass hive is housed in Mr. Coffey’s room, a hole bored in the window itself allows the bees easy access to the outside of the school. The bees will in essence take care of themselves, acting as a normal hive which happens to be observable by high school students.
The hive is not expected to pose significant health risks to students for allergenic reasons. The case is glass, safely insulating the students from the bees which they are observing. Student safety was an important consideration in the design of the hive.
When the bees exit through the window, they will be 20 feet above the ground and angled to continue flying upwards. This will help prevent bee stings on school grounds – already a low risk, as bees only sting when threatened.
To keep the bees safe and undisturbed, and to keep students from being distracted during classes, the glass beehive is kept covered and locked when not being studied.
Mr. Coffey and custodian Mr. Randy Brunner both have attended PA Backyard Beekeeper’s Association meetings to prepare for the installation of the hive.
Due to the significance of bees in pollinating crops, the installation was considered to be a worthwhile venture. Their study is both an engaging and educationally valuable opportunity for biology and life science students.