Milwaukee church puts beehive on its roof

Updated
Milwaukee Church Becomes Beehive Caretaker
Milwaukee Church Becomes Beehive Caretaker


MILWAUKEE —A Milwaukee church is getting into the beekeeping business by putting a beehive on their roof.

VIDEO: Milwaukee church becomes beehive caretaker

"There are some bees that at a certain time in their life start to produce wax," said Charlie Koenen, the founder of Beepods.com.

Some members of Milwaukee's Redeemer Lutheran Church were in training Wednesday to become caretakers for the church's new beehive.

"I'm really fascinated. I mean, I knew some of it, but I'm learning a lot more," beehive volunteer Nancy Groethe said.

At first, everybody was kind of standoffish, and suddenly the bees were like honey, WISN 12 News reporter Mike Anderson said.

"Right now, there still persists this negative image about bees and how scary and they're out to sting you, and really they're absolutely essential super organisms," beehive volunteer Dr. Katherine Wilson said.

Wilson and the Rev. Lisa Bates-Froiland of Redeemer Lutheran Church said putting the hive on the roof is somewhat symbolic, but they want people to be educated about bees and get to know what a treasure they are.

"I think the honey bees are a great example of what we think of as discipleship in the world that God gathers us together and then sends us out from our faith communities and then out in the world to make a positive difference," Bates-Froiland said.

The pastor said the hive will stay on the roof through the winter, and they hope to keep it for many years.

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