[February 2016 Submission]  Becoming a Hobbyist Beekeeper

The worldwide decline in numbers and health of pollinating bees has certainly received a lot of public coverage in recent years, along with multiple reasons that have been suggested for causing this decline.  There has also been unprecedented interest or curiosity among the general public about honey bees and beekeeping.

Some of this interest has come from individuals, couples and families who view beekeeping as a possible pastime and a means to do a little bit to help preserve the key crop pollination and environmental niche that bees fill.  Many baby boomers who are in or near retirement years can remember the rural roots of their grandparents or great-grandparents who likely kept a bee hive or two on their ranches or farms.  They have homes now in rural or suburban areas and also more spare time for hobbies than during their work careers.

Among these baby boomers, and also many people much younger, are those who yearn for a simpler and closer-to-nature existence.  Some are very concerned about the state of our natural environment and issues such as healthier food consumption.  Some are gardeners themselves or have orchards on their property for which pollinating insects can benefit the quality and quantity of crop yield.

There are currently 13 local or area beekeeping clubs active within the state of Louisiana and associated with the Louisiana Beekeepers Association.  Anyone interested in learning more about honey bees and beekeeping can obviously go to a bookstore or library to find and read basic books on these subjects.  As valuable as this information can be, it really can't compare with the more personal information and advice that veteran, local beekeepers can offer.  Few "how to" books consider the specific area conditions and challenges that beekeeping in parts of the Deep South present.  An example is one particular pest, the small hive beetle, that is more likely to result in major hive problems in this region of the country than these beetles cause elsewhere.

Critical to beekeeping is hive location and recognizing the more important trees and plants upon which bees can potentially forage for pollen and nectar.  There's quite a difference in some of these foraging sources even within a state such as Louisiana.  Chinese tallow can be a very important foraging source for honey production in parts of south Louisiana while much less so in north Louisiana.  Row crops such as cotton and soybeans can really help nearby hives produce surplus honey, but beekeepers must be aware of potential crop dusting and pesticide spraying that can be fatal to hives.  Mosquito abatement efforts occur in many Louisiana parishes, and contact with those local officials can help prevent mosquito spraying near bee hives.

Much of Louisiana has abundant wild growth of goldenrod in the fall that can be a great foraging source that allows hives to produce and store honey to keep the hives going through the winter months.  Many beekeepers like to harvest their honey though before the start of this goldenrod bloom, usually in September, because the taste of goldenrod honey is often considered funky, earthy, and less than desirable.

Veteran beekeepers can help beginners get started and have a much higher chance of hive survival and productivity.  They can give advice on how to purchase bees and the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing options, such as "packages," "nucs," or whole hives.  Often beginners get interested in beekeeping and want to start in the spring, but find that some purchasing options require financial commitments in advance and suppliers have limited availability later in the spring.

Some beekeepers started with little cost by catching swarming bees.  How to catch swarms or to remove an existing hive of bees from a tree (a "trap out") can be easy or difficult depending on the actual situation and your knowledge of methods.  Basic clothing, equipment, and supplies for beekeeping are just some of questions that beginners can have.  There's almost always some time at monthly beekeepers’ meetings for beginners to ask veterans specific questions that they may currently have.

Beekeeping clubs in the state vary considerably in terms of their history, number of members or individuals attending monthly meetings, and degree of formal programs and presentations at their meetings.  The Hill Country Beekeepers, based now in West Monroe, started over 25 years ago with beekeepers meeting in Farmerville.   There are clubs in the Shreveport/Bossier City, Pineville/Alexandria, and Vidalia/Ferriday areas, as well as others in south Louisiana.  Clubs often start with a limited number of experienced beekeepers who meet and share knowledge and viewpoints, but grow over time as newcomers visit, benefit from the advice of veteran beekeepers, and join the club.  Some clubs have fundraising efforts, post informative newsletters, and offer various membership benefits, such as "field days" when members can share knowledge and skills in working on actual hives.

The Louisiana Beekeepers Association holds an annual convention on a Friday and Saturday in early December each year with many beekeeping topics and presentations, as well as invite national and area vendors who sell beekeeping equipment and supplies.  The LBA also sponsors an October field day on a Saturday each year at the Baton Rouge Honey Bee Research Lab at which demonstrations and advice are given for more and less experienced beekeepers.  As a new LBA board member this year, I would encourage anyone interested in possibly becoming a hobbyist beekeeper to consider joining the LBA and to attend monthly meetings of a nearby local/area beekeeping club.  I'm biased perhaps, but I've never met a beekeeper who didn't seem willing to help a beginner get started by answering his/her questions.  Some hobbyist beekeepers get interested enough that they eventually have a 50, 100, or more hives and become "sideline" beekeepers who sell honey and other hive products.  We also have some "commercial" beekeepers in the LBA who have many more hives in this state and who haul many trailers of bees to California and other states for crop pollination purposes and fees.  Still, the majority of state beekeepers are hobbyists with a few hives on their own property.

The official web site for the Louisiana Beekeepers Association offers contact information for a club fairly near to you, as well as information on the LBA's activities and mission.  A few of these local clubs in the state have their own web sites or Facebook pages.  One Facebook site, Beekeeping in Louisiana, offers a means to reach and query many state beekeepers.  If you have specific questions about becoming a hobbyist beekeeper, I'll try to respond to these (steve-payne1@live.com) or at least point you in the right direction.