BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Before there’s honey on the shelf, there’s nonstop work inside the hive.

Inside wooden boxes tucked away in Broward County parks, thousands of bees buzz nonstop — building, feeding, protecting, producing. It’s nature’s busiest workforce.

“They’re our friends. It’s very important that we have bees around — for our food, for our flowers, for our ecosystem,” said Julie Mongerson with the Broward Beekeepers Association.

Behind the buzz is a group of volunteers on a mission — focused on helping the hives thrive while turning fear into fascination.

The Broward Beekeepers Association manages three micro-apiaries, where members gather to share knowledge, care for the hives and help protect the bee population.

The club also opens its apiaries to the public once a month — giving visitors a chance to see the work up close, learn about beekeeping and get a taste of life inside the hive.

“The cohesion of a colony. Everyone has to put in the work and do their job and do their role for the colony to be strong and to work,” Mongerson said. “What’s good for the bee is good for the colony. What’s good for the colony is good for the bee and I think we can all learn a little bit about that.”

During a recent open house, club member Dale Kern walked visitors through what sometimes looks like chaos — from identifying drones to breaking down the different ways that bees communicate, select a queen or even ventilate the hive.

Beekeepers also demonstrated how smokers are used to safely calm the hive during inspections, giving visitors an up-close look at the organized chaos happening inside the box.

“If I’m going through their hive, imagine it’s their house. I’m taking off the roof, I’m rummaging through their rooms, their pantry, everything,” Mongerson said. “They might be a little like, ‘Hey, what’s happening here?’ What we use the smoke for is just to kind of mask the scent of any kind of danger pheromone that they might be feeling.”

The monthly events continue drawing visitors of all ages — many looking to reconnect with nature and better understand the tiny pollinators playing a major role in the environment.

Club members can keep their own hives at the park, help maintain the apiaries and connect with others who share an interest in bees, honey production and conservation.

Click here to join the club or attend an open house.

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