Not many elementary schoolers have their own bee suit — or a desire to care for honey bees.

But donning a kid-sized white jacket and mesh veil is just a part of life for 8-year-old Charlotte Schrader of Lakeville. Yes, she knows bees can sting, so she isn’t without fear. However, she loves honey and is so intrigued by honey bees that she’ll put on her kit whenever she gets the chance. After all, getting a good view of the bees — and honey to drizzle on everything — is worth the risk.

“I like them because they give us honey, and I love looking inside their home,” she says, standing in her backyard, which is home to two of her family’s eight hives in Dakota County.

Charlotte is the daughter of Brandon Schrader, a squadron commander with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and one of Minnesota

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