Longtime Germantown beekeeper reaps sweet rewards from busy bees

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Norris Childs has created an outdoor space at his Germantown home that is fit for a queen.

"I have fifteen beehives right now," says Childs.

There is one queen in each of those beehives, but it takes many busy bees to make those hives successful colonies.

"There are 60,000 to 80,000 worker bees, who are all girls," says Childs.

Those worker bees are producing Childs' aptly named, Wissahickon Honey.

Childs says because he lives across from the city park, the bees gather "pretty good pollen and nectar over there."

Childs, a retired trauma surgeon, says he started beekeeping about 40 years ago.

"It's very calming to sit and watch them," he says.

"When you see pollen on their legs, that means that the queen is laying eggs, and they're having babies and larva," says Childs. "They are so focused on taking care of their community."

The bees are seen guarding the entrance to many of the hives on his property.

Twice a year he harvests the honey, and he suits up for the job.

"It definitely has a different color depending on the time of year. It also has a different taste," he says.

Childs says he uses smoke on the bees, which alerts them of possible danger.

"And you'll see that they go back inside after the smoke comes," says Childs. "It confuses their sense of smell."

Once Childs pulls a frame of honeycomb from the hive, he sees that it's ready to be harvested.

"This will give you one quart of honey," he says.

He processes the honeycomb in his honey house.

Childs says honey is his main product, but he also uses the wax from the honeycomb to make candles and skin creams.

Childs also serves as President of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, which works to "educate people about the importance of bees in our environment."

While many fear bees, Childs says, they are not out to get you.

"This creature can find its way out of a beehive, fly two miles away guided by the sun, spend an hour out there, and fly back guided by the sun to exactly where they came from," says Childs. "I mean, how can you not be excited by these creatures?"

The 13th Annual Philadelphia Honey Festival is free and runs for three days in different locations:

Thursday, Sept. 8 at Glen Foerd on the Delaware

Saturday, Sept. 10 at Wyck Historic House, Garden & Farm

Sunday, Sept. 11 at Bartram's Garden