Donate to assist in mountain beekeeper recovery

Granville & Vance Warren County Beekeepers Associations have adopted 8 beekeepers from Western NC.

We will be providing these beekeepers with nucs for each colony that they lost in addition to replacing lost woodenware, equipment and more.  Please help us support: Ryan M, Bobby & Kenny, Grant, The P Family, John, Ryan S, Sid & Bradly, & Jill either monetarily, with good condition/new equipment or nucs! You can also adopt one of them!  We will be trying to coordinate 1-2 property clean up field trips as well.  Equipment/Bee delivery will likely be May.

Email granvilllecobeekeeper@gmail.com for more info.

TELLING THE BEES

You may not know, but honey bees are not native to the USA.  Most were brought over by early settlers from Europe.  In tradition of the “Old Country”, it is believed that the bees must be told of important events in their keeper's lives - births, marriages, deaths, or even departures and returns in the household. In 1858 John Greenleaf Whittier published the poem, “Telling the Bees” in the Atlantic Monthly.  “Stay home, pretty bees, fly not hence!”  If the custom was forgotten and the bees were not "put into mourning", it was believed a misfortune was inevitable.  The bees may leave their hive, stop producing honey, or simply perish.   

“Honey bees, Honey bees, hear what I say!  Your Master Keeper has passed away.  But his friends now beg you will freely stay, and gather honey for many a day.  Bony bees, Bony bees, hear what I say.”