Zoo Bee Honey Flying Off Gift Shop Shelves

It probably won't be a surprise that they keep bees at the Tulsa Zoo, after all, they have nearly everything else, but it might surprise you that those bees make honey that you can buy in the zoo gift shop.

This year's crop of honey from the Tulsa Zoo bees is now on sale in the gift shop.

"We've been selling the honey in the gift shop for three or four years,” said Dr. Kay Backues.

Backues is the Senior Veterinarian at the zoo. She said the bees have been out there for about ten years.

The bees are her hobby; she has six hives out behind the clinic.

“This time of year I check on them about once a month,” she said.

She said the bees can fly as far as two miles from the hive looking for nectar, but in Mohawk Park they don't have to fly that far.

Not sure how many actual bees are in the six hives, she said the number rises and falls with the seasons, but this has been a good year for bees.

The honey went on sale Thursday and will be there as long as it lasts. The gift shop is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.