Bees are important not only because they pollinate flowers and crops, but also because they produce honey for our teas and beeswax, an ingredient found in products like lip balm, hand lotion and furniture polish.
Wilson-Rich, who received his Ph.D. from Tufts University, founded Boston-based Best Bees Company in 2010. The company supports people who want to own and care for their own beehive.
The scientist snapped some photos and explained his typical day at work.
Wake up time is around 7 a.m., give or take a few snooze button smacks. I organize my day during my first cup of coffee. Today is Valentine’s Day, so I’m wearing my red hoodie while conspiring how to balance my two jobs and my relationship on this special — and busy — day.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
The “Best Bees beemobile” is my ride on most days involving field work visiting beehives.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
By the time I arrive at the Best Bees Company Urban Beekeeping Laboratory around 9 a.m., two of our fabulous interns are already hard at work processing beeswax. Peggie dePasquale (left) is a student at Simmons College in Boston and Alia Marinone (right) is a student at Lesley University in Cambridge.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
Peggie and Alia begin a new batch of beeswax for purification. Beeswax can be used to make many products, like lip balm, hand lotion, furniture polish, and much more!
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
After checking in with our interns (who are doing terrific work!), I move into the research area. My job at Best Bees is to plan new experiments and analyze data daily.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
Peggie tries on a pith helmet to test the fit, and shows off a green box, one of our popular colors in our 2012 season.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
Before we go, we need to finish bottling the last bits of honey from our winter harvest. A winter harvest is a parting gift from last year's bees who didn't make it through the winter, but had plenty of food (honey) left in their hive. A sad, but sweet thing, for sure.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
I lift the hive cover to discover that this hive is thriving!
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
These Boston bees stay warm in the winter by cuddling together. They eat honey all winter long to survive. I do those things, too!
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
It’s 11 a.m., and my office hours have begun at school. I am a full-time faculty member in the Biology Department at Simmons College. This semester, I teach microbiology to 92 students, as well as two labs with 18 students. I teach on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
I gave the first exam of the semester to my microbiology students. I hope they all rocked it!
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
My Simmons College lab students hard at work!
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
By 5:30 p.m., I’m back in my office, emailing some more, and feeling exhausted.
Courtesy of Noah Wilson-Rich
The Simmons College School of Management building rooftop (behind me) could be home to a new honey bee hive as soon as next month, if the administration grants final approval!
