As a child, I have been conditioned to always say I am afraid of bees. Anytime a bee found its way into my classroom or near me in the backyard, I would scream and run away (hopefully not an original experience). Yet, I have found bee lovers to be so passionate about 1) saving the bees and 2) how gentle they are, that I was convinced if I put myself out there, I could get over this fear of bees. Out of pure chance at the University of Connecticut, I saw that UConn Beekeeping was allowing non-members to attend a hive visit. So I decided it was the day to face my fears, and signed up.
I think my anxiety about bees came from the extreme fear of being stung! I know it’s irrational because often bees won’t sting unless you are being aggressive or bothering them. However, it was definitely holding me back. I am a toddler when it comes to pain and I thought it would be easier to avoid a bee forever. Yet, at the hive visit, I learned that members had never been stung before by UConn bees and had great experiences when they were wearing their bee suits.
First, I will say, being in the suit was the coolest thing ever. I knew they were huge and protective. Putting it on, I saw the layers that went into making sure you really cannot get stung. The suit is layered in a way to make sure that you cannot leave any exposed skin. There are areas on the arms and face mask that have netted fabric but since the fabric doesn’t lay right against your skin, even when bees get near it, they cannot sting you even if they wanted to. It was super comfy and I really felt comfortable the whole time wearing it.
I had to wear the appropriate clothes to wear the suit, so I was wearing long sleeves, jeans, and boots. It makes sure that even if the fabric of the suit gets too close to your skin, there’s a layer to protect you from the bees. Being prepared was super important and made me feel comfortable!
Actually looking at the bees and opening the hive was so amazing. The first thing my mind went to was the noise. I never got completely overstimulated, but as someone who often finds grocery stores to be too loud, I was on edge from the noise. I highly recommend considering your threshold on noise and activity before venturing to a hive visit. I think I did surprisingly well considering past experiences with noise and I do think it can be soothing in a way. There was something calming about the noise at the same time, like I was being comforted by the bees versus getting swarmed.
It gets easier with time and practice. With UConn Beekeeping, the hive visits are to replace their feed source, the sugar water in the hives. From the time of opening their hive to closing, it’s a fast process to make sure the bees don’t get too cold in the winter. As it gets warmer, you can spend more time with the bees. As a visitor, I got to watch and enjoy the bees while the E-Board members replaced their food source. There is not much responsibility and I could have stepped out if it ever got too much for me to handle.
On the first visit, I learned that beekeepers are often some of the happiest workers in the world! They generally love their work and find themselves at peace. I can 100% agree if I had to do that every day, I would love it. I felt like I was just initiated into a club that had some of the happiest and most peaceful people in the world.
As of April 8, 2024, I have helped move a hive to a new home and moved in a new bee hive from the mail into their new home. I cannot describe the level of fun and excitement it brings to my day! I feel like I am embarking on an adventure every time I step onto Spring Valley Student Farm.