Photo Story: Don’t Worry, Bee Happy

Claire Nguyen

September 20, 2023

Senior George Frees shows a hive frame to beginner beekeepers on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Columbia, Mo. Frees has been beekeeping for almost 12 years.

Sustain Mizzou welcomes students to try their hands at beekeeping at their bi-weekly beekeeping classes.

George Frees in a white beekeeping suit holds up a beehive frame that has many bees on it. — Senior George Frees shows a hive frame to beginner beekeepers on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Columbia, Mo. Frees has been beekeeping for almost 12 years.

George Frees wears a gray shirt which says “WELCOME TO MIZZOU” while speaking to students. — Frees introduces beekeeping to new members of Sustain Mizzou. As an avid beekeeper, Frees teaches interested students how to beekeep every other Wednesday behind Eckles Hall.

George Frees grabs a white beekeeping suit with both hands out of a box filled with beekeeping suits. — Frees grabs beekeeping suits for students. Frees has been teaching beekeeping courses at MU since his sophomore year.

A beekeeper wears a white beekeeping suit and puts on yellow-stained gloves on their right hand. — A new beekeeping student puts on their beekeeping gloves for the first time. The yellow color on the gloves is a mix of honey and propolis, a sap like product that helps bees build their hives.

A person holds a lighter to the inside of the smoker to burn the paper. — Another member of Sustain Mizzou lights up the smoker. Smokers are used to relax bees and decrease aggravation. Shredded paper is stuffed in the smoker because it doesn’t flame.

George Frees holds a hive frame that has many bees on it with a metal frame gripper. He holds the gripper with his right hand and the bottom of the frame with his left hand. — Frees holds up a hive frame with a frame gripper. The metal gripper helps retrieve the hive frame from the boxed bee hive without harming the surrounding frames.

A weathered, yellow sign that reads “HONEY” in black ink leans against a tool box. On the right, George Frees stands facing away from the sign with a smoker in his right hand. — A weathered honey sign leans against a box filled with beekeeping tools. The box stores essential beekeeping items like frame grippers.

Bees move inside the white-painted hive which is decorated with yellow flowers and has the words “Sustain Mizzou” written in green paint. — Bees gather inside Sustain Mizzou’s beehive. Tools like the hive tool are used to pry open beehives and frames without harming the hive.

Edited by Hannah Schuh | [email protected]

Copy Edited by Hannah Taylor and Sterling Sewell | [email protected]

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