City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/510169
20 City Trees Beekeeper's Guild about the importance of bees and potential new ordinances that could further protect pollinators. Honey produced by the City bees was also distributed for tasting! In addition, the City established an observational hive to use as an educational tool for residents and children. The hive is equipped with glass on both sides so the queen and all the activities of the hive can be safely observed. The observational hive is easy to transport and a popular exhibit during Public Works Week and other community events. As a result of increased awareness about honeybees in the City, in the winter of 2014 public works staff noticed bees flying at night, hovering like moths around a City building light. The bees were coming from an estab- lished hive in a nearby oak tree and ending up dead and disoriented each morning below the light. A sample of dead bees was collected and observed. After about a week, parasitic fly larvae commonly known as "zombie flies" emerged from the dead bees. The female zombie flies lay eggs on the honeybee and as the larvae devel- op, they attack the bee's brain, causing them to become disoriented. The infected "ZomBees" are known to fly at The City of Menlo Park, California established an observational hive for community events. Photo by Brian Henry night and exhibit other strange behaviors. It is believed that zombie flies are partially responsible for the dis- appearance of honeybees along the West Coast. Staff continues to monitor and collect samples for "ZomBee Watch," a citizen-science project sponsored by the San Francisco State University Department of Biology. Our City's beekeeping program was awarded the Tree City USA Growth Award by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2014. Due to the symbiotic relationship between trees and bees, municipal arborists are often the first to respond when a swarm moves through a com- munity. In Menlo Park, City Arborist Christian Bonner (ISA-certified Municipal Specialist and Board Certified Master Arborist) is alerted by residents and notifies the beekeepers on staff when bees require relocation. When the City's apiary is full, hives are placed with local backyard beekeepers. The positive relationships among City staff, residents, and local beekeepers are the foun- dation of Menlo Park's successful beekeeping program. —Brian Henry, Superintendent of Public Works, Menlo Park, California