The children learnt how to make their first bee-bath yesterday !
Did not need much – a coconut shell, sandpaper, some marbles , and some paint.
We also learnt about the waggle dance , what a wonder !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih_W-TXSXKg
The last few classes, we have spent time watching documentaries on bees .
Interpreting the Language of Bees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOC-N07sSQQ
Giant honey bees – Life in the Undergrowth – BBC Attenborough – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vll_2xH_SQY
The Honey hunters of India – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOC-N07sSQQ
The Death Of Bees Explained – Parasites, Poison and Humans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqA42M4RtxE
The kids get restless very easily. Their attention span is low. But give them a good nature documentary, and their eyes are fixed with wonder. Give them paint and brushes, and they will sit almost in meditation.
Imagine how hard just one bee works in a single day.
Bees tend to at least 2,000 flowers daily, with tiny wings beating 10,000 times per minute, carrying pollen, and dramatically assisting our food supply.
Bees get thirsty, and they need safe water sources. The problem is water is not always readily available.
Bees need very shallow water to drink from. However, shallow water evaporates quickly. Birdbaths are not the best option as bees tend to drown if the water isn’t shallow enough. As for river and lakes, bees risk their lives
trying to get water in the presence of fishes, frogs, and other wildlife, not to mention the risk of being swept away in water currents.
To help hydrate our little pollinators, set up a bee bath by filling a pan with marbles and then water. The marbles give the bees a spot to land so that they don’t drown when they come to drink.
(Credits – http://thirdmonk.net/universe/animals/make-bee-bath-help-hydrate-pollinators.html )
Summer Blossoms 