Did you hear the buzz? Honeybee hive has returned to McKinley Museum
CANTON ‒ Honeybees have returned to the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum.
A new observational beehive is on display in Discover World in the museum at 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW. The display is outfitted with glass walls to give visitors a look at the hive's inner workings.
The display had been empty since August when someone poisoned the hive and hundreds of bees perished.
In November, the museum reached out to supporters on Giving Tuesday hoping to raise funds to replace the vandalized beehive. Patrons responded by exceeding the $2,000 goal and raising $3,752.
"We are so appreciative of the help we have received from the community for Giving Tuesday. Your donations allowed us to continue our conservation efforts and educational outreach for the endangered honeybee," museum officials said in a press release.
Hive thriving: queen laying eggs, honey production
Lynette Reiner, museum science director, said the museum is buzzing with excitement over the return of the honeybees.
The bees returned to the museum on July 1. During the next week, Reiner said, broods - an egg cell - have formed and babies are hatching, she said.
"It's really cool in our hive," Reiner said. "Clear areas can be seen and you see a brood. And the honeycomb is starting to form and they are producing their own honey."
McKinley Museum: The Heart of Stark: LEGO contest builds excitement for McKinley Museum exhibit
A new structure was built to house the hive after the pesticide was introduced into the former hive last year.
The Stark County Bee Association, which helps the museum care for the hive, provided the new hive, Reiner said.
"This is a huge deal to people that the bees were gone," she said.
Teachers who brought their classrooms to the museum in the fall for field trips often used the beehive as a teaching tool to discuss pollinators and the anatomy of a hive among other lessons.
Reiner didn't sugarcoat the answer when a kid asked where the bees were; she simply told them what happened.
"They're so sad," she said. "It's a huge response. We couldn't wait for the bees to come."
With the extra funding collected, new signage will be installed to help visitors learn more about the internal workings of a honeybee hive.
New hive, new security
Officials believe that someone placed an unknown chemical pesticide into the tube overnight sometime last August, killing the bees and destroying the hive.
The Stark County Bee Association was called in to investigate and found the bee's tounges sticking out, a telltale sign of poisoning. Chemical stains also were found on the building near the tunnel.
Canton police and the Ohio Department of Agriculture investigated but there weren't many leads. The security cameras didn't catch anyone due to the angle of the camera.
"It was a really hard blow," Reiner said. "One week those were brood cells, a week later they were babies and the next week they were all dead."
The tunnel allows bees to move freely from the hive to the outside. Reiner created a bee garden about 8 feet from the tunnel exit with flowers and other plants, including cucumber and collard greens, which are fed to the other animals at the museum.
Reiner has seen the new swarm heading outside to the garden.
With the new hive came new security measures, she added.
She hopes to have a "bee" party to celebrate the return.
"It's been a huge attraction," she said. "Since the beehive has been in there is always a crowd around it."
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@aknapp
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
This article originally appeared on The Repository: McKinley Museum visitors abuzz as observation beehive back on display
