Late Summer Beekeeping News and Events
If you are an early riser, you’ve noticed that first light isn’t as early as it was just a few weeks ago.
The days are getting shorter.
And if you spend significant time outside, you will agree that Pennsylvania has been experiencing warmer and drier conditions.
From a beekeeping perspective, these conditions caused an early dearth and distinctive change within colonies, forcing the early exit of drones and a focus on the preservation of the precious nectar that has been collected since the start of spring.
Fair Season
Pennsylvania is rich in culture, and the summer months provide a great opportunity for day trips and staycations. August has a ton of fairs, from Wayne to Centre and beyond.
At most of the summer fairs, you will find beekeeping represented with displays of honey, candles and other products of the hive that have been proudly produced by beekeepers in those areas.
Acquisition
In industry news, on July 1, Mann Lake Ltd. announced it was acquiring Pierce Beekeeping Equipment to expand its product offerings of beekeeping supplies.
Pierce sells supplies but is probably best known for foundations and frames. The founder, Paul Pierce, perfected the industry-standard cell structure for foundations over 35 years ago.
Summer Picnic
The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association held its summer business meeting and picnic on July 20 at Knoebels Grove in Elysburg. The event was very well attended, and the extra food was proudly donated to a local food bank.
During the meeting, we discussed the new Plant and Pollinator Protection Act, SB 1198, and answered questions relating to the impact and benefits to beekeepers should this legislation pass as currently written.
We formally announced that the fall membership meeting and conference will be held Oct. 25-27 in State College. Frederick Dunn will be one of the speakers.
Municipal Follow-Up
As part of my responsibility, I routinely field calls from beekeepers across the state who have found themselves at odds with a municipality.
In many instances, the governing authority has enacted language that restricts or conflicts with the keeping of bees.
If you are a regular reader, you will remember that in the June newsletter, I highlighted such an instance.
To briefly summarize, there is a borough in Mercer County where the code enforcement officer interpreted a section of municipal code to mean that honey bees fell within their definition of dangerous animals and issued a notice of violation to the beekeeper in question.
The position of the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association was that honey bees were inaccurately characterized as dangerous animals.
An appeals board hearing was scheduled for July 9. I’m happy to report that during their regularly scheduled meeting the day before, the town council voted in favor of approving keeping bees, rescinded the notice of violation, and stated that it will work to address this issue moving forward.
