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Beekeepers buzz into Rabun
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| Beekeeper Berry Wright teaches a workshop on honey production during the Georgia Beekeepers Association fall meeting at the Rabun County Civic Center. |
By Justin Raines Staff Writer
Bees are best known for producing nature's only perfect food, but filling honey jars is not their most important job.
Commercial agriculture depends on honeybees to pollinate crops. Without bees, food supplies in the United States would be severely affected. In recent years bees have left their hives never to return, and no one really knows why.
The collapse of honeybee colonies was one of the more serious topics addressed at the Georgia Beekeepers Association fall meeting held Friday and Saturday at the Rabun County Civic Center.
"We're trying to find some answers to save this little creature that's so important to the food we eat in this country," former GBA president P.N. Williams said.
The conference included a panel of expert speakers who addressed colony collapse, breeding, honey production, disease prevention and pollination issues.
"They've got a very good slate of speakers," said hobbyist Ed Mellon of Fairburn.
Workshops designed for experts and beginners were conducted in the field behind the civic center, where several buzzing hives were set up.
"It's geared both toward the commercial beekeeper and the hobbyist," said GBA Secretary Tom Bonnell about the aim of the conference.
Despite the gasoline shortage in the Southeast, Bonnell said this year's turnout was impressive. About 165 beekeepers showed up from as far away as Tennessee and Alabama.
Beekeeping in North Georgia is primarily focused on honey production, with about 99 percent of pollination occurring south of Macon, said GBA president Bob Bennie.
Bennie owns Blue Ridge Honey Company in Lakemont, which is the largest commercial honeybee operation north of Macon. Bennie's bees produce a variety of local honeys, and he also leases his hives to farms in Florida and south Georgia for pollination during the growing season.
Beekeeping is a valuable tool in home gardening since healthy pollination increases yields and improves the overall quality of crops, Bennie said.
"Do you see any fruits or vegetables that are weird shaped?" said Bonnell. "If you do, you need honeybees."
Anyone interested in pursuing beekeeping as a hobby should start by reading books and attending local beekeepers meetings, Bennie said.
The Northeast Georgia Mountain Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Clarkesville Library.
The Macon County (N.C.) Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the county extension office in Franklin, N.C.
A beekeeping startup kit costs about $250 and includes a bee suit, tools and the hive. The bees themselves start at about $80.
For more information about starting a home bee hive, visit www.blueridgehoney.com or call Williams at 404-366-6404.
Commercial agriculture depends on honeybees to pollinate crops. Without bees, food supplies in the United States would be severely affected. In recent years bees have left their hives never to return, and no one really knows why.
The collapse of honeybee colonies was one of the more serious topics addressed at the Georgia Beekeepers Association fall meeting held Friday and Saturday at the Rabun County Civic Center.
"We're trying to find some answers to save this little creature that's so important to the food we eat in this country," former GBA president P.N. Williams said.
The conference included a panel of expert speakers who addressed colony collapse, breeding, honey production, disease prevention and pollination issues.
"They've got a very good slate of speakers," said hobbyist Ed Mellon of Fairburn.
Workshops designed for experts and beginners were conducted in the field behind the civic center, where several buzzing hives were set up.
"It's geared both toward the commercial beekeeper and the hobbyist," said GBA Secretary Tom Bonnell about the aim of the conference.
Despite the gasoline shortage in the Southeast, Bonnell said this year's turnout was impressive. About 165 beekeepers showed up from as far away as Tennessee and Alabama.
Beekeeping in North Georgia is primarily focused on honey production, with about 99 percent of pollination occurring south of Macon, said GBA president Bob Bennie.
Bennie owns Blue Ridge Honey Company in Lakemont, which is the largest commercial honeybee operation north of Macon. Bennie's bees produce a variety of local honeys, and he also leases his hives to farms in Florida and south Georgia for pollination during the growing season.
Beekeeping is a valuable tool in home gardening since healthy pollination increases yields and improves the overall quality of crops, Bennie said.
"Do you see any fruits or vegetables that are weird shaped?" said Bonnell. "If you do, you need honeybees."
Anyone interested in pursuing beekeeping as a hobby should start by reading books and attending local beekeepers meetings, Bennie said.
The Northeast Georgia Mountain Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Clarkesville Library.
The Macon County (N.C.) Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the county extension office in Franklin, N.C.
A beekeeping startup kit costs about $250 and includes a bee suit, tools and the hive. The bees themselves start at about $80.
For more information about starting a home bee hive, visit www.blueridgehoney.com or call Williams at 404-366-6404.
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