This post is different than most of the other ones I have written. This one is about my observations and abstract thinking. Florida has had a lot of new beekeepers joining the ranks. There have been over 8 new beekeeping associations formed in the last 4 years in this state alone. Alabama and Georgia have some new associations formed in the southern part in the last year.

There is a great demand for instructors and mentors for all the newbies. The Alabama Baldwin County Beekeepers Association has started it’s second year’s beginner’s course. This could be the start of an annual affair. The class last January was filled to overflowing and they expanded the attendance for this January. This year had more students wanting in than they were prepared for. They had to start a waiting list. The curriculum includes, the history of the honeybee, bee biology, plant biology, pests and diseases, and Alabama bee laws. Then how to build and care for the wooden ware,  how to start a hive by using packages, nucs, and swarms. Lots of hands on experience and plenty of question and answer time.

These meetings and classes remind me of a bee colony. In order for a colony to survive, there must be young bees willing to learn the ropes, advanced bees to feed the young, mix pollen and honey, build wax, guard the hive, and then the older or experienced bees to gather the pollen and nectar and transport it back to the hive.

In order for an association to survive, the group must have newbies to learn the ropes, advanced beekeepers to help the newbies and the older beekeepers when collecting the honey and extracting. And there needs to be the experienced beekeepers to help train the new ones as well as to be a guide and to answer questions for all the younger crowd.

I attended their regular February monthly meeting and counted around 40-45 people there and half or more of them were new beekeepers. I personally have 3 new beekeepers that I am mentoring and I have had as many as 7 at one time. For one reason or another some have dropped out, moved, or decided they knew enough to go out on their own. The point is, we need more old beekeepers helping the new beekeepers. That is how we propagate ourselves. Sorta like bees swarming. hehe.

We have enough experienced beekeepers that we don’t need to have the big name – big guns come to every meeting. We need to start inviting some of the local talents to teach a training session at each of our monthly meetings. It doesn’t need to be our own members all the time even. Some of the neighboring associations have good teachers that could be invited once in awhile. That would change up the atmosphere a little so we don’t get stale.

The Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association has started a state wide roster of people willing to teach or present a program to their neighboring associations. If any of you wish to be included, then you need to contact Beth Fox at BF54321@aol.com . She can give you the name of the contact person.

Enough for now. Spring will be here before you know it, so get ready.