What is it Wednesday: September 1, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

September 1, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is honeycomb from one of Lutherlyn’s bee hives. 

The cells we see here are called brood cells – many of them have larva in them. Some of the larva are big and fill the entire cell. Some hatched very recently and are still very small, looking like just a light-colored squiggle at the bottom of the cell. Some of the cells have been capped with wax by the bees in the hive so the larva can begin to pupate, and will soon turn into bees.

Seeing brood cells in a hive is an indicator that there is an active queen present – she has been laying eggs and producing more bees for the hive. The next month or so of late summer is a really important time of year for bees to establish a strong healthy hive and lots of honey going into the winter. We’re so grateful to have honey bee hives at Lutherlyn – thank you to beekeeper Pastor Nathaneil Christman for getting these hives established this summer!

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!