Altamaha Beekeepers Association Promotes ‘ Saving the Bees!’

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The Altamaha Beekeepers Association has erected a sign along US Highway 280 to encourage the public to purchase honey bee license plates to help in the fight to save the species from endangerment.

According to Association Treasurer Mike Brand, the honey bee population has drastically declined in the local area in recent years as a result of the widespread use of pesticides. “We’re putting this sign up to promote the support of beekeeping. Because of chemicals that farmers and homeowners use, honeybees are on their way to becoming an endangered species,” he explained.

The sign, which sits on the vacant lot beside AutoZone, showcases the new “Save the Honey Bee” motor vehicle tag which donates $22 per tag to the Georgia Beekeepers Association. Other organizations, like the Altamaha Beekeepers Association, then get grants from the funding.

“In the past, we used money from these tags to purchase supplies for demonstrations and teaching opportunities,” Association Secretary Maggie Douglas shared. “We go to schools and other organizations for free to teach others more about the bees. All you have to do is call and set up the demonstration.”

These demonstrations are just another element of advocating for the bees, according to the Association. “Without bees, we have no food,” Brand emphasized. “Bees pollinate the crops; they make growing things possible.”

For this reason, the Association offers to remove bee swarms for free, as they do not want to kill bees but rather relocate them. “A lot of the commercial beekeepers will not come get swarms because of being afraid of what they may bring into their hives,” Douglas explained. “But if you call us, we will get someone out there to get the swarm. I have gotten them everywhere from farms to under benches to the Vidalia Airport to a shopping cart beside Parker’s.”

Meanwhile, for those who are interested in raising their own bees, both Douglas and Brand share encouragement, as they said that the Association makes sure to help any beginning beekeepers. “There are a lot of benefits in beekeeping – it’s not just about honey. You can even breed bees or rent them to farmers to pollinate their crops,” Brand said. “If anyone is interested in starting a hive, I encourage them to call us. The Beekeepers Association is great at helping us to learn from one another.”

He continued, “We all help each other. If I have an issue that I don’t understand, I can call and ask any of these folks for help and they will help me. For example, Maggie comes and helps at my house almost every weekend because I have a bad back. We all work together.”

Brand also stated that beekeeping does not take a lot of space, as he has a small hive at his home. “You can do it as much or as little as you want to,” he remarked. “These bees take up very little space, and their ‘sweet spot’ is around a mile away, but they pollinate a 3-mile radius. So, just by having this small hive, I am positively affecting my entire neighborhood.”

The Altamaha Beekeepers Association meets monthly on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the Annunciation Episcopal Church in Vidalia. Anyone interested in beekeeping is encouraged to attend, or to call Maggie Douglas for more information at (717) 781-3016.

THE ART OF BEEKEEPING – Altamaha Beekeepers Association Secretary Maggie Douglas shows off a frame from Treasurer Mike Brand’s hive.Photo by Makaylee Randolph