Group is getting

a new year’s buzz
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

The Watauga County Beekeepers Association is hoping to get the buzz going on their goal of boosting pollination and sweetening the year ahead.

Association president Amy Johnston said the group has more than 30 members but new beekeepers are always welcome, and even veterans will enjoy the opportunity to brush up on new techniques and learn about the latest threats to bee health.

The group’s first course is Feb. 16, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Agency building.

The course will include information on getting started for the year, and the association hopes to recruit new people to build hives and pursue beekeeping as a hobby and food source. Apiaries also play a crucial role in the entire plant and animal system.

Jack Hanel, regional apiary inspector with the N.C. Department of Agriculture, will discuss the mites, predators, diseases and the “colony collapse disorder” that threaten honeybees and their role in pollinating crops and flowers.

Hanel said while more beekeepers are always needed, the state isn’t quite at the crisis point that some media reports would suggest. “In talking with inspectors around the state, we haven’t really seen CCD (colony collapse disorder) here,” he said. “However, for people that get it, it’s a catastrophe. That seems to more affect commercial beekeepers who move their bees around to pollinate crops. It doesn’t seem to be affecting hobbyists. But if anyone thinks they have it, we’d like to know.”

Hanel reiterated the role of bees and beekeepers in a healthy ecosystem, since the number of bee colonies has declined about 50 percent since the 1950s. He said bees are not only important for food crops and in providing honey, but also play a role in feeding wildlife by pollinating foods such as acorns. “We’ve had a dropoff of wild bees in the woods,” he said.

Hanel said the cold weather also strains bees, as they must keep their hives at a temperature of 92 degrees by performing a type of isometric exercise in which they contract and relax the muscles that lift their wings.

Queens are currently laying eggs in order to build up peak colony populations by May. Bees are seldom active outdoors when the temperature is below 50 degrees, and they typically begin swarming in April or May, depending on climate.

Hanel said most of the bee colonies he had inspected went into the winter in good shape, with large populations and adequate supplies of food. While collapse disorder hadn’t hit the state with force, the usual pests and mites continue to take their toll.

“The pests have developed an immunity to some of the substances we were using,” Hanel said.
“Some people are having success with a more natural approach, with integrated pest management. In some areas that’s working well, but it depends on the genetics of the bees and the climate. It can vary quite a bit.”

Charles Heatherly, president of the state beekeepers association, heads up the largest NCBSA in the nation and will give a presentation on the bee’s role in state agriculture. Steve Forrest, owner of Brushy Mountain in Wilkesboro, will also speak, as the region’s top supplier of commercial honey. Ed Buchanan of Asheville will also speak.

Topics include “How to Build a Beehive,” tips on ordering colonies and how many bees to start with, basic supplies, the importance of joining associations and the “big picture in beekeeping.” “We’re going to talk about choosing the right bee race, since there’s a lot of races out there right now,” Johnston said.

Bob Cole of Todd, who was awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the state for his work promoting bees, will also speak. Stickboy Bread Co. and Moonshine Cafe will be sponsoring with free food. Snow date is March 1.

The meeting will be held at the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Agency building on King Street in Boone. For more information, call Johnston at (828) 262-1012.