Bringing Back The Bees One Hive At A Time

Even with the winter weather, it is still spring and the perfect time to get ready for the return of the honey bee. Bee populations have been on the decline but many are hopeful that a grassroots effort can turn it around.

Throughout the winter, bees ball up around the queen of the hive – shaking to keep warm in sub zero temperatures.

Some won’t be able to make it, but as it starts to warm up, they’ll start venturing out. The perfect time for bee keepers to catch them.

The employees at Mann Lake Limited, the largest supplier of bee keeping supplies in the world, are busy bees getting ready for hobbyists and commercial keepers prepping their hives.

According to the USDA, out of the 74,000 colonies in Minnesota, from January through March of 2015, there were 3,7000 colonies lost. Just 690 colonies were added.

Adding to the numbers is Wayne Rusch, who started this as a hobby but quickly expanded to over 200 hives. He says the best way to get started is to attend a local beekeeping club.

For those who are unsure about it all, there are other ways to help, such as letting the flowers and grass in your ditches grow.

Even brands like Honey Nut Cherrios are offering free flower seeds to their customers. But be careful, the packets contain invasive species. It might be better to get flowers from your local gardening store.

Another way to help is to research the chemicals you’re using on your lawns.