Pittsburg, PA
Hundreds of thousands of birds are migrating over the Pittsburgh area. Here’s how you can help their journey.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Millions of birds are in the middle of their migrations through western Pennsylvania, and you can play a small part in helping them along on their journeys.
Peak migration season is typically mid-August to mid-October, and 200 million birds are predicted to migrate across the country on Monday night.
“Right now is a really important time for bird migration, and in fact, over 719,000 birds flew over Allegheny County just last night. They migrate at night because they use the stars and the moon to help with navigation,” said Rachel Handel, the communications director for the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
But Handel says light pollution can be a big problem for birds on the move.
“That could be as big as stadium lights or really as small as keeping a light on in your home late at night. Those lights can distract the birds when they’re flying. That can lead to overexertion, that can lead to them becoming confused.”
Handel says there are ways you can help make their trip a little smoother.
“Simply turn off the lights at night and encourage their neighbors to do it too,” Handel said.
Their destination? South.
“We are seeing a lot of warblers migrating, and a lot of hummingbirds. They tend to migrate southwards to Mexico, Central America, South America, so they have a long journey ahead of them, and of course there will be stops along the way,” Handel said.
Handel says leaving out bird seed and nectar for hummingbirds is especially helpful right now as they make pitstops to fuel up.
“The best things we can do is to provide some additional food sources to help them along as they migrate,” Handel said.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit has started to install its ReadyFare vending machines as the agency prepares to roll out its new fare payment system.
PRT said it’s working to roll out its new ReadyFare system and has started to install the new machine at some of its light-rail stations.
The new machines recently were installed at PRT’s Gateway station in Downtown Pittsburgh.
PRT said that as it prepares to roll out the new system, current ConnectCard holders will receive a card in the mail with instructions on how to request a ReadyFare card.
The new ReadyFare cards will be able to be purchased at the new machines for $1.
PRT said that riders will be able to transfer any balances they have on a ConnectCard to the new ReadyFare cards using an online balance transfer form.
Pittsburg, PA
About 5 pounds of bees removed from Acrisure Stadium scaffolding ahead of Morgan Wallen concerts
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
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