Beekeeping and Children | Honey Bee Colony Removal

   Children can start beekeeping at almost any age after they accept taking directions. The most important thing to remember is safety. Be sure the children are properly suited up anytime they are working directly with bees. Also caution children to handle dead bees carefully. It sounds strange but a dead bee can "sting." This actually happened to one of our young beekeepers much to his surprise.

     It is best to have liquid antihistamines at hand just in case of a sting. Be aware of what signs of shock to look for and treat every sting seriously. Vomiting, having to go to the toilet quickly, tingly feelings or fainting are all signs that emergency medical help needs to be called immediately. Now that the scary issues have been addressed, let's think about what children can do with bees.

     Provide the children with simple, easy to read literature to begin with. They will need to know what honey bees live in, facts about the colony, and what the life cycles of the queen, the workers and the drone are. They will need to know the parts and functions of the bees and also the hive they live in. A good beginning project is building a bee hive. Any parts or Equipment can be ordered from Bee Brothers Apiary.