Protective gear is available in many sizes. | Photo by Dorri Partain

Dorri Partain

Managing Editor

The Pendleton Heights Community Orchard was buzzing with activity on Saturday, May 3, as Bee KC — a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit that maintains bee hives across Kansas City — provided neighborhood residents with an up-close and personal look at this orchard’s bee population.

This community orchard at the corner of Lexington and Montgall Avenues was founded in 2013 and now supports 30 fruiting trees, native plant beds and four bee hives. This space also hosts several community events throughout the year and provides a quiet green space along a busy street.

Activities during this Saturday afternoon event included flower pot painting, cornhole, healthy snacks and photo opportunities. Pendleton Heights also unveiled this year’s T-shirt design and offered a free shirt through a raffle as well as having shirts for sale.

The event’s main attraction was a tent manned by Bee KC volunteers — offering fresh honey, unique beeswax candles and information about the importance of protecting these productive pollinators. An observation box with clear windows offers visitors to watch as worker bees tend to larva or spot the queen bee.

David Friesen, founder of Bee KC, was easy to spot in his beekeeper suit as he offered facts, not only about this orchard’s hives, but other hives installed and maintained by Bee KC across the City. In an interview Saturday, Friesen shared that midwestern winters can be hard on local bee populations and a hive may suffer an 80 to 90 percent loss when temperatures dip below zero.

Within the Pendleton Heights (PH) hive colonies, one hive survived and was able to maintain a healthy population of 40 to 50,000 bees — one hive may contain up to 80,000 bees. Within Bee KC-maintained hives, approximately 10 million bees live in urban Kansas City.

Hive installation events, such as this one, allow participants to partake in the process firsthand. Friesen provides a complete suit or protective hat and gloves for those that want to assist, or just watch closely, as bees are relocated to their new hive, in a secluded corner of the orchard.

Trees throughout the orchard are filled with developing fruit, a testament to the relationship between bees and food production. In addition to pollination duties, these bees also produce honey, which will be collected during another community event later this year.

For more information about Bee KC, its program or to make a donation, visit www.beekc.org.

To volunteer or check Pendleton Heights calendar of community events, visit wwwphkc.org.

For previous Northeast News coverage about the orchard and hives, visit: