Beekeeping at Lyman Woods
Early in spring 2013 the Downers Grove Park District installed four new hives for honeybees in Lyman Woods. Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance contributed partial funding for this project. The Bee Yard Project included a purchase of protective suits and masks so that Lyman Woods interpretive program participants can help with the honey harvest.
The bees at the new Lyman Woods apiary work hard in summer, as does the Lyman Woods staff with junior beekeeping camps and bee activities for all ages.
Honey is harvested from the hives in July and again in September. After the bees are pacified with smoke, the hives are opened and honeycomb-filled frames are removed. The wax caps are cut from the combs and the honey extracted, filtered, and bottled, yielding a nice light-gold honey that has been in great demand and was sold out in 2013. A short video of the process of filling the jars may be found at Honey Harvest.
Lyman Woods staffer and beekeeper Marge Trocki lends her expertise. The Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Association have generously provided funding for scholarships to the beekeeping camp.