Otselic Valley Central School District

Bees buzz, make honey, and pollinate crops to ensure we have a variety of things to eat. Ask a second grader from O V to tell you all about it! Victoria Peila-Ryan from Kutik Pollination Services in Oxford recently visited our school as part of the students’ “Save the Bees” science unit, and she had a lot of information to share. Our Vikings also had the opportunity to ask questions, and they were good ones! Did you know that bees have little tongues that help them drink water? Did you know that if a bee stings you, the bee will die? There was even more to learn: Worker bees are the girls in the hive, drone bees are the boys in the hive, and one queen creates hive harmony. Because they move pollen from one plant to another, these small, golden insects are essential for the health of many of our food crops, flowers, and even trees. Beekeepers can help by feeding bees with pollen patties in the winter.There was good news too: We can help maintain a healthy bee population, and we don’t need to be afraid of bees even though the worker bees have stingers. “Bees prefer to leave you alone,” Mrs. Peila-Ryan explained. “It’s better not to swat at bees when you’re outside. They’re not likely to bother you anyway unless you’re wearing bright colors or strong perfume.”Bees also make a sweet treat: honey! Kutik’s generously provided a sampling of straws filled with honey in different flavors and colors. Nature did that, Mrs. Peila-Ryan explained. Honey tastes and looks different depending on which plants the bees are visiting. (It turns out many Vikings had strong feelings about which honey they preferred.)Many thanks to Mrs. Peila-Ryan and https://www.kutiks.com for helping us better understand why protecting bees is important, and for the honey tasting. We’re also proud of our students for listening well, asking great questions, and trying something new. See more photos on Facebook.