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Bee expert shares safety tips with Watson students
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Bringing Bob the Bee Man (left) to Watson was definitely a family affair. His sister and Watson teacher Cheri Watson( center) invited him for the presentation, and their niece Jenna Chemlik (right) celebrated his visit with a sunny outfit with her uncle’s bee logo.
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With a little help from his niece Jenna Chemlik (left), Bob the Bee Man held up photos to teach the children the difference between dangerous yellow jackets (left) and the less harmful honeybee (right).
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After a long talk on bee safety, Chemlik also opened the floor for questions from the students.
By SARAH FOOR
A Nov. 1 presentation definitely had Watson Elementary buzzing with excitement, as Bob “The Bee Man” Chemlik shared his knowledge on bee keeping and bee safety with students and faculty.
Chemlik, a lifelong Austintown resident and third generation beekeeper, spends most of his days zipped into protective gear as he removes unwanted bees for area residents.
“My uncle taught me how to care for bees a long time ago,” Chemlik shared. “So I’m not afraid of them. But many can be very dangerous, and I want you to know what to see and do when you find a bee’s nest.”
With experience removing bumblebees, wasps, hornets, honeybees, and yellow jackets on a regular basis, Chemlik warned the children to use extreme caution around wasps and yellow jackets, who can sting multiple times with one stinger.
The Bee Man also took time to share his favorite bee removal story.
“After St. Patrick’s in Youngstown reported their bee troubles to me, I found a wasp’s nest at the very top of the church’s steeple. With the help of the fire department, I rode a lift bucket 95 feet in the air to successfully remove it. It was definitely the highest I’ve ever gone to remove a nest!”