Visit The New Honeybee Observation Hive At SFA Gardens

Did you know that there is a place on the SFA campus where you'll be able to observe an actual, working beehive? It's the Win Day Honeybee Observation Hive, and it's located at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Eventually, you'll have the opportunity to watch the bees work in their natural habitat, bringing pollen in, and making honey in the hive.

The Original Location of the Observation Hive Wasn't in the PNPC

SFA has had a space for the observation hive for years. However, it hasn't always been at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center. It used to be located on Wilson Drive, between the Ag Building and the intramural fields. A while back, a new space was built in the PNPC.

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It's also worth noting that it's been a long time since you could actually watch the bees. At some point they left the hive that was in the observation space and never came back. Also, no new hives were brought in to replace it.

A Brand-New Observation Hive for SFA Gardens

Last spring, a brand-new observation hive was built at the PNPC, using lots of the pieces from the original hive. One of the SFA art students even painted a mural on the new structure, giving it all-new life. However, there were no bees to move into the hive. There was a hive elsewhere on campus, but before it could be moved, the bees left.

That all changed this week, as the SFA Gardens received a new hive from the Pineywoods Beekeepers Association. Now, the hope is that the bees will build up their hive and have the chance to stay in the gardens for years!

Take a look at the updated facility: