September 13, 2023 —On a warm summer day, Barclay Friends residents and staff recently witnessed a swarm of honeybees flying outside the Wentworth meeting room in the Cotter building. As a community committed to sustainability, we knew that it was important to handle this situation in the best way possible. That’s why we contacted Keith Jardine, a Chester County Beekeepers Association member, to help us relocate the bees safely and save these important pollinators.
Honeybees Need Protection
Honeybees are vital to the environment because of their role as pollinators. Without bees, the plants and crops that we rely on for food would suffer. That’s why handling bee infestations with care and respect for these creatures is crucial. When we observed the bees flying outside the Wentworth meeting room, we knew we had to act quickly to protect them. Keith Jardine was the perfect person to call for help.
Keith arrived at Barclay Friends with all the necessary equipment to relocate the bees to a safer location. Two of our team members had the chance to observe the process up close by donning bee suits. The rest of our community watched from a safe distance outside the meeting room windows. It was an exciting and educational experience for all involved.
Relocating the Queen
The process of relocating the bees involved finding and removing the queen bee without harming her. Keith used a small clip to remove the queen and placed her in a temporary transport beehive box. Then, he moved the worker bees into the box along with the queen. The bees were then transported to a hive on the grounds of Church Farm School in Chester County, where they will have a more natural habitat to thrive in.
Bee-ing Together
At Barclay Friends, we were proud to have played a part in protecting these important pollinators. By working with Keith Jardine and the Chester County Beekeepers Association, we were able to relocate the bees safely and give them a new home where they can thrive. We hope that our efforts will inspire others to take action to protect the environment and the creatures that call it home. The entire colony is now happily ensconced in a more natural setting and hopefully will “bee together” for a long time to come!
