Bee wise! Here’s the buzz on Seminole County’s Honeybees
It’s that time of year again! The bees are brooding up to get into production mode and soon their hives will be full of workers. Swarming happens this time of year as the colony runs out of room and the hive becomes overcrowded.
Join the Seminole Area Beekeeping Club
The Seminole Area Beekeeping Club meets the third Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Seminole County UGA County Extension Office located at 426 North Friendship Avenue in Donalsonville.
The next meeting is March 21 and the public is invited to attend and join the passion for helping the world’s food supply through educated management of local livestock: honeybees!
For additional information email [email protected]
There are many reasons why someone may want to join a local bee club. The first reason is a club is the best way to get an introduction to beekeeping. Most clubs have a range of members from novice to professional beekeepers. Some people have hundreds of hives and some have none. You can learn about how to get started and where to get bees. The experience of a club can help you make management decisions and identify problems and prevent them.
Along with the experience a bee club naturally has from its members, they often have guest speakers as well. Guest speakers can vary from professors at major universities to local commercial beekeepers. This information is often only presented in this format and is a wealth of knowledge. Having access to research and practices you cannot find in a book is priceless. Often the programming of a bee club will be centered around the season for bees.
Lastly, a bee club has many little perks that may not be obvious. Many clubs can make bulk order for equipment and bees to save everyone some money. Some hobbyist beekeepers will share extractors and other equipment too. It also gives those without bees an opportunity to work with bees. During the harvest season it is possible to help other beekeepers so you can gain experience and learn. Having experience and help are two things that can make or break a new beekeeper.
Many of us don’t tend to think about what pollinators do in Winter, but it is an important factor in putting groceries on the table. Many commercial beekeepers send their girls to California as a service to almond growers. Many keep them on this side of the country to pollinate the blueberries, which is currently one of the largest economic exports in the state of Georgia. Many also stay home and work local farms that provide tomatoes, bell (and other) peppers, Winter squash, cucumbers and the like to go on our tables. Managed colonies are responsible for roughly half of all the food on your plate, every time you sit down to eat. 94% of all managed colonies in the US are kept by hobbyists; thereabout 5% are kept by folks as a side job (300 colonies or less), and a whopping 94% of managed colonies in the country are kept by commercial beekeepers! If you ate today, thank a farmer and a beekeeper!
It is equally important to note that colony size increases quite dramatically this time of year and as the populations increase in a fixed-sized “house,” somebody has to move out. This is normally the old queen and about half the workers. They set about to found a new colony in an appropriate sized cavity. Right in the middle of this process called “swarming” they often take a break and “bivouac” at a resting site. This could be your mailbox, the eave of your house, a nearby bush, or just about anything. As they don’t have a home to defend, swarms are generally docile, so try not to freak out if you see a large cluster of bees hanging somewhere!
As Spring fills the air and everyone gets the fever to start planting all the beautiful flowers in their beds, consider the pollinators importance in your flower choices. Crimson clover, yellow sweet clover, purple heal-all, and dwarf sunflowers all provide nice pops of color in a time when local pollinators need it most. Many ornamental shrubs bloom this time of year, such as loropetalum, and really light up the landscapes with their deep purple leaves and bright pink blooms! Thyme, and rosemary are also beneficial to pollinators!
