Barrett Zimmerman is saving local bee populations one hive at a time
Barrett Zimmerman is saving local bee populations one hive at a time
Barrett Zimmerman walked to the backyard of his rural Tiffin home on July 29, his heavy bee suit feeling like a heating pad on the muggy summer day, and gently slipped frames from his beehives, looking for disease and pests, inspecting the eggs and larva, and checking to see if the hive was ready to harvest. All the while, hundreds of honey bees swarmed around him, so he occasionally squeezed a gentle puff of smoke into the air to keep them calm.
Zimmerman was replaying the steps he takes all across Erie, Sandusky and Seneca counties in his role as apiary inspector. Zimmerman, a longtime popular AG teacher at Clyde High School, started keeping bees about eight years ago. Last year, he was hired as the county bee inspector for Erie and Sandusky counties. This year, he became the Seneca County Apiary Inspector.
Bees swarm Barrett Zimmerman as he lifts the lid on a hive. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
It’s a time-consuming job. There are 60 registered apiaries in Seneca County alone, and they have hives across 100 locations.
“There are 700 hives in Seneca County and a lot more that aren’t registered,” Zimmerman said. “But we need more beekeepers.”
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, all apiaries must be registered with the state, whether they are permanent or temporary, commercial or hobbyist. Zimmerman encourages beekeepers to register for the benefits.
Puffs of bee-calming smoke swirl around Apiary Inspector Barrett Zimmerman. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
“It allows me and the State of Ohio to know if you have bees in case there is an outbreak of disease,” he said. “And it’s another set of eyes to look for problems. I can help a beekeeper see something wrong that could have been a catastrophe.”
The importance of registering apiaries became startlingly apparent when Zimmerman discovered American Foulbrood (AFB), the most dangerous disease threat to bee colonies, in Seneca County in late July. AFB is caused by spore-forming bacteria that can live 70 years. There is no cure, and the disease can only be managed by burning the colony.
“It’s really scary. It’s the most deadly disease,” Zimmerman said. “If we didn’t have an inspector, we wouldn’t have found it.”
Various stages of bee larva rest in a hive in Barrett Zimmerman’s backyard. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
Mites present another major danger to bees, so Zimmerman performs alcohol washes to test for mites. The results allow him to make recommendations on treatments that could save a colony.
Zimmerman helps protect the bees and the beekeeper’s investment. Keeping bees isn’t cheap, but registration is.
“Registration is $5 per location, regardless of how many hives you have on it,” Zimmerman said. “And you can sign a no consent form when you register that says you don’t want inspections.”
Those who want their hives inspected for the added protection still have the security of knowing that Zimmerman works with the beekeepers to schedule his visits.
“I will not go on your property without you knowing I’m coming, and I prefer if the owner is there when I am,” he said.
Barrett Zimmerman serves as the apiary inspector for Seneca, Erie and Sandusky counties. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
Zimmerman became interested in bees through a students’ parents, and it didn’t take long for him to get hooked on the hobby.
“Once you learn about bees and what they can do, it just gets into your blood,” he said.
What attracted him most to the hobby was the individual and communal complexity of honey bees. They are intelligent, collaborative and industrious.
“The most impressive thing to me is that they can create in complete darkness,” Zimmerman said. “A swarm of honey bees can leave a hive with the queen and take all the resources in their stomachs that they need to build their new home. They communicate, argue, and force the queen to do things – they all have their role.”
Seneca County Apiary Inspector Barrett Zimmerman inspects a honey bee-covered frame. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)
The little honey bees that most people barely acknowledge are vital to pollination, create a sustainable food source, and teach life lessons that humans would be wise to follow.
“They are willing to sacrifice their lives,” Zimmerman said. “There are so many lessons we can learn from them.”
Anyone interested in beekeeping is welcome to attend a meeting of the Sandusky River Valley Beekeepers Association, which are usually held on the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 510 W. Maple St. in Clyde. For more information, visit https://srvba.ohiostatebeekeepers.org.
