‘You’re a Beekeeper’: Students Conquer Their Fears in This Scary but Sweet Class

Beekeeping as a recreational and hobbyist activity has been on the rise in recent years. Here are four delicious recipes that use honey.

Propel Andrew Street students have become beekeepers under the watchful eye of their teacher, Brandon Keat. They checked on some bees they keep in Homestead, Pennsylvania, on Monday, June 9, 2025. Lucy Schaly/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

PITTSBURGH—Drew Demko’s hands are steady as he grabs a wooden hive frame covered in beeswax, and places it into an awaiting pail at Propel Andrew Street High School in Munhall, Pennsylvania.

Using a “hot knife”—beekeeper lingo for a heated brisket knife designed for slicing—he gently cuts away the white wax caps that cover the honey collected on honeycombs.