Altamaha Beekeepers Association Spread the Buzz About Honeybees
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Members of the Altamaha Beekeepers Association have been doing their part to spread information to individuals of all ages about the benefits of honeybees and the practice of beekeeping.
On Saturday, April 12, at a free Beekeeping Field Day in Oak Park, several Association members helped to instruct beginning and intermediate beekeepers on the basic practices of beekeeping in an effort to help preserve the honeybee population.
During this event, through hands-on activities, participants of all ages were able to practice the knowledge they learned about lighting a smoker, inspecting hives, and finding and marking a queen bee. They were also able to network and connect with experienced beekeepers, continued from page
who may help guide or advise them with any issues in the future.
A few weeks later, on May 2, Altamaha Beekeepers Association Members Mary Whitson and Maggie Douglas traveled to Jeff Davis Primary School for the Farm Day event, during which they taught students about honeybees and harvesting honey.
Students were able to hold a frame of honey to see how heavy the crop may be, touch beeswax on a frame, and observe how bees interact on an observation hive. Whitson and Douglas taught the students about queen bees and how the bee hierarchy works within a hive, and even showed the children a proper beekeeping suit.
These events are just two ways in which the Association – which serves Baxley, Hazlehurst, Ludowici, Swainsboro, and Montgomery, Tattnall, Emanuel, and Toombs Counties – works to educate the public about bees and to help other beekeepers to succeed at their craft. “We go to schools and other organizations for free to teach others more about the bees. All you have to do is call and set up the demonstration,” Douglas explained.
The Altamaha Beekeepers Association meets monthly on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Annunciation Episcopal Church in Vidalia. Anyone interested in beekeeping is encouraged to attend.
In addition to teaching about bees, the group also offers to remove bee swarms for free, as they do not want to kill bees but rather relocate them. “A lot of the commercial beekeepers will not come get swarms because of being afraid of what they may bring into their hives,” Douglas explained. “But if you call us, we will get someone out there to get the swarm. I have gotten them everywhere from farms to under benches to the Vidalia Airport to a shopping cart beside Parker’s.”
For more information on beekeeping, bee removals, or to schedule a demonstration, call Maggie Douglas at (717) 7813016.
BEEKEEPING SUIT – Altamaha Beekeepers Association Member Mary Whitson shows Jeff Davis Primary School Students a beekeeping suit during the school’s Farm Day.
TEACHING ABOUT HONEY – Altamaha Beekeepers Association Member Maggie Douglas speaks to Jeff Davis Primary School students about honey during the school’s Farm Day.
HANDS-ON LEARNING – Attendees of the free Beekeeping Field Day in Oak Park were able to learn about the practice in hands-on activities, such as working within beehives.
