BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — You see honeybees everywhere, but you may not know their importance.
For years the honeybee population has been declining, but the Boise State Bee Team wants to help change that.
The team has placed an apiary program on the roof of the Boise State Student Union Building, and every week they check to make sure these hives are strong and happy.
"During the summer, we kind of just check on them, make sure they're doing okay. Treat them for any diseases. Specifically, Verona mites we have to keep an eye on. Those are essentially little parasites that live on honey bees," said Savannah Durfee, the president of the Bee Team.
Currently, there are two active hives on the roof that hold nearly 30 frames of honey per box.
"All we see is workers. These are bees that forge for pollen and nectar they bring into the hive."
During peak season, about 50 to 60,000 bees are working in these hives, but during winter, there are about 20,000.
The team not only maintains the hives but also harvests the honey and beeswax to make products sold in the Bookstore.
This year, they harvested five gallons of honey.
"We sell little six-ounce jars of honey. Sometimes we will also sell chap sticks and hand salve," Durfee said.
This not only benefits all those honey lovers but also the bees.
The team says creating this safe environment for them is crucial to their survival.
"The honeybee population is declining, and just the pollinator population in general. So, at Boise State, it's really cool cause we get to have students and faculty members come up and kind of get more involved," Durfee said.
It's also vital to our environment.
"Honeybees are responsible for every three bites of food that we consume. They harvest like everything. From lavender to mint to obviously all of our crops. Which in Idaho, that's super important because again, we are an agricultural state," said Brooke Zander, a member of the Bee Team.
The team says there are some ways you can help the honeybees, like planting some flowers in your backyard.
Just click here for more info on the BSU Bee Team.
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