Author: Ashley Randolph

The University of Northern Colorado has new tenants on campus — thousands of them! In Ross Hall, an observable bee hive was installed with hardworking honeybees fortifying their new home. School of Biological Sciences Professor Teresa Higgins, Ph.D., and Elementary Teacher Education students Ness Medina and Mollie Brandt spent the past year preparing for the beehive as well as taking beekeeping classes through the Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association. The cabinet that contains the actual, glass-encased hive was created and installed by UNC Facilites. The observable bee hive will be used for students to study bee behavior and to integrate such activity into the classroom. For example, a research study will be incorporated into the BIO 111 course that will focus on the bees. This is one of many animals the department has acquired including hatched chickens, an ant farm and a tarantula named Luna. From worker bees to drones, nurse bees and, of course, the queen, you’ll see all types of bee behaviors. This includes observing bees making beeswax, cleaning the hive, and caring for the queen as well as the eggs, larvae and pupae, also known as the brood. Another activity you’ll see is the waggle dance, which is how honeybees communicate the location of nectar. Certain bees have the role of searching for flowers and returning to the hive to inform other bees by performing a figure-eight dance....