Association helps residents learn the art of beekeeping

Beekeeping is a hobby that attracts people of all ages, for all kinds of reasons. Humankind has been keeping and managing bee colonies for at least ten millennia. Beekeeping has been recorded as part of human life on cave walls. and Hieroglyphic carvings. It was part of cultures throughout the world since before the dawn of civilization.

For Knox County resident Jeff Gabric, it’s a hobby that he learned as a child. Now, he teaches others who want to become beekeepers. Gabric is president of the Knox County Beekeepers Association, which offers classes, help and advice to beekeepers, from beginners to experts. 

"We've got about 200 members and almost all of them are what we call backyard beekeepers," said Gabric.

Jeff and his wife, Sarah, run about 50 colonies in their backyard, on their property just north of Mount Vernon.

"Most of what we do is geared toward education,” said Gabric. “It's about answering questions that our members have, and keeping up-to-date on the latest news and changes in beekeeping."

The reasons that motivate people to get into beekeeping are probably as many and varied as the people who take up beekeeping as a hobby.

"People just find it fascinating,” said Gabric. “My motivation was that I grew up with them. My father had bees, when I grew up back in the '60s and '70s. I used to get into the bees back then. So, I had a little bit of background in beekeeping. Some people remember their grandparents used to keep bees. Other people feel sorry for honeybees and want to help save the honeybees. That can be a good motivation."

Beekeeping is a year round activity and it requires some discipline.

"It's not an easy process,” said Gabric. “It takes effort and dedication. It's not like you just buy bees, stick them in a box, and check on them next fall. There's a process and that's what we try to help them with. We want to try to make them successful."

Most people who get into the hobby just collect enough honey to give to their friends, except for what they use themselves.

“They come from all walks of life,” said Gabric. “Some beekeepers are retired. They usually are pretty successful with it because it's something they always wanted to do. Now, they have time to do it. We have young beekeepers that are in their late 20s. We have young couples with children. There are homesteaders or people trying to get back to the land. They buy a couple of acres somewhere. They might have goats. Bees are another thing. Maybe they have a milk cow. I don't know. Some are in their 50s, some are in their 40s. They just kind of geek out on bees.”

The KCBA has scholarships to help young people get started.

"We have a kids program where we usually give out about 5 to 10 scholarships per year,” said Gabric. “This helps kids from nine years old, up to high school age. It's a $400 scholarship that helps them to get started with bees and beekeeping, because it's pretty expensive to do. It generally costs you $500 by the time you buy the bees and the equipment. That can include your smokers, tools, veils, your bee suit, and all that goes with it."

As KCBA president and owner of My Bee Supply, LLC, Gabric sees a yearly turnover of beekeepers.

“We get maybe 50 new members a year and maybe 50 drop off every year,” said Gabric. “A percentage just give up. I call it the, ‘new puppy syndrome.’ They find out it's more work than they thought it would be. It's not easy, but it's not hard. There are just a few things that you have to do in a timely manner, in order to be successful. 

"There's about three or four things that I tell the beekeepers when we start the class. If you're willing to do those three or four things or focus on them, you'll probably be successful. You have to make sure they have enough nutrition. In other words, that might require you to feed the bees, at certain time periods, if there's not enough honey in storage, in the hive, to keep them alive, you may have to feed them. Perhaps, when you are establishing bees to get them started, you have to feed them. If they don't get enough naturally to feed them through winter, you may have to feed them in September. Normally, we feed them sugar water. Maybe they have to feed them and maybe they don't, but those are the evaluations they are going to have to learn to make. Those are the things you have to watch to keep your colony from collapsing and dying.”

Another important thing a beekeeper must do if manage mites in the bee colony.

“The varroa mite, which came over from Asia about 35 years ago, lives with bees and a can stress them,” said Gabric. “You’ve got to have a management program."

The varroa mite is a relatively large mite, which is commonly found in area hives. The KCBA helps to show hive owners proven ways to monitor and manage mite populations in the hives.

Some beekeepers don't monitor. They just treat for mites.

“It doesn't cost much to treat,” explained Gabric. “It's just a $10 per hive application. It's very inexpensive, but some beekeepers will just proactively treat their hives. If we keep treating without monitoring, we won't know if that hive can survive without a treatment."

Genetics can help bees to develop the ability to manage mite populations, and survive on their own.

"We tried to find out what the (mite) population is in the hive, because all hives have them and you just need to keep their population low,” said Gabric. “Sometimes, bee genetics works in keeping the varroa mite population low, once bees have figured out how to manage them (by grooming themselves to remove mites or capping cells — removing larvae that have already been invaded by mites). Sometimes genetics doesn't work and then you have to make sure the mite population isn't too high, so the bees don't get overloaded with them "

The KCBA gives successful beekeepers an opportunity to share their knowledge with other members.

“We have a monthly meeting from April through September,” said Gabric. “We call it a bee yard meeting that takes place at our farm, most of the time. Sometimes the meeting will be at one of the other farms. We will look at the hives, pull frames, and discuss what we see. It's all done right there in the fields. If someone is brand new and they're not really sure what they're looking at, the bee yard meeting is a great opportunity to come and see.”

The Knox County Beekeepers Association will be hosting an advanced beekeeping class on Jan. 24. It will be at Mount Vernon Nazarene University's Faculty Hall at 8:30 a.m. There is a cost and those interested can register at knoxbees.org.

 The advanced beekeeping class is designed for beekeepers, with experience, who want to hone their skills and gain a better understanding of some of the basic issues they manage.

Topics covered will be honey production, swarm prevention and management, requeening hives, making proper splits, and mite control programs. 

There will be two Friday beekeeping classes for beginners, held on Feb. 7 and 21 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

For more information on these classes and on beekeeping, please go to https://knoxbees.org. You can also go to KCBA’s Facebook page, or you can call My Bee Supply, LLC at (740) 760-0300. Their address is 13600 Old Mansfield Road, Mount Vernon.