The buzz of nectar-gathering activity that began nearly two years ago at the Public Works Center has come to Village Hall with two honeybee hives on the small outdoor balcony above the south entrance at 123 Madison St.
The two hives at Village Hall eventually will be home to about 90,000 hard-working honeybees, each playing a crucial role as pollinators for the plants that produce a third of the American diet. If the Village Hall hives prove as successful as those on the Public Works Center roof, they could produce more than 120 pounds of honey in a season once the colony is established.
Visitors should not fear the docile pollinators. Officials say the bees live only to collect pollen and make honey and aren’t interested in coming inside Village Hall. Oak Park property owners can establish up to two honeybee colonies as long as the apiaries meet specific Village code requirements.
For more information beekeeping in Oak Park, call 708.358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us.
![Photo of the honeybee hives at Village Hall](/sites/default/files/newsletters/photos/village-hall-bees-ws.jpg)
![Photo of a frame from a honeybee hive at Village Hall.](/sites/default/files/newsletters/photos/village-hall-bees2-ws.jpg)