Jefferson
The first quarter of the year is historically a busy time for Fresno Beekeepers. Collecting honey and beeswax, preparing hives for the following summer’s harvest and winter supplies is all part of their job. For the past few years, they have focused their efforts on protecting the hives, which are located in an open field on the north side of Fresno in CA. They have worked to prevent the spread of the deadly acanthamoeba, resulting from a breakdown in the neighborhood’s sewage system. This has been one of the most challenging challenges they have faced in many years. They have worked diligently to protect the hives, but they also need the support of the city and county to continue their work.
Beekeepers in Fresno and throughout the state face many threats every year. With global warming and drought threatening to reduce honey production, many beekeepers choose to leave their work at home and seek out jobs far away from home. With many residents supporting alternative energy sources, including solar power, it makes sense to focus on efforts that will help the residents while helping the pollinators. With that in mind, the local Beekeepers Association has been discussing ways they can work together to promote the conservation of honey bees by educating the community about their essential role in the environment.
Beekeepers with their hives in the rural areas of Fresno usually do not think about the urban sprawl that surrounds them. But the proximity of large cities such as Fresno to Los Angeles, Sacramento, and nearby towns such as Yuca Andy and San Bernardino all make it essential for them to get out of the isolation and work in the urban environment. By putting their ideas into action with the local Beekeepers Association, they can improve their livelihood skills. Still, they can also help create a better environment for those living in the area. By getting out of the isolation and meeting other beekeepers in the area, they can work together to preserve the fragile balance that allows bees to thrive.
It is the responsibility of the Beekeepers Association to educate residents about the importance of keeping bees as a valuable resource for the local environment. This is achieved by hosting educational seminars and workshops for the community to come together and work towards protecting the environment while at the same time promoting the valuable agricultural resource of honey bees. By working together towards a common cause, a local beekeeper can gain helpful information about how their bees can contribute to the environment in the way that they see fit. Educators at the Beekeepers Association present both traditional and modern methods of keeping bees to teach all locals about the importance of preserving the local environment so that future generations can enjoy the wonders of bees while helping to save the environment. In addition to the information they present, they also provide a means of introducing people to the life of a beekeeper and allowing them the opportunity to work alongside them daily.
In the Spring of 2021, Beekeepers from throughout Fresno County took the initiative to create a new program that would benefit the entire community. This “spring cleanup” program was designed to eliminate the constant issues that come with having so many bee colonies in a tiny area. These issues range from anything from diseases to over-wintering to the death of a queen bee. In the past, when the queen had been removed from the colony, it could take years for her to rebuild her strength and re-establish her place in the community again. This was very important to the local farmers because if the queen did not have her home in the area, there would be a reduction in crop production because of decreased bees producing honey.
This program involved a lot of hard work, but it also provided a means for the bees to find new homes to nest and raise their young. Many farmers and ranchers found that by hiring these Bees to do the work for them, they could increase their yields and decrease their expenses at the same time. Many times a farmer would have to hire someone else to take care of the bees during the months when there was little work for them to do. Having the bees do some of the work could focus on the better aspects of raising their bees. This also saved them money since there was no need to pay someone else to work on the hives during this period.