43rd annual Honey Bee Festival takes place in Palo Cedro

 The Honey Bee Festival in Palo Cedro is celebrating it's 43rd year and this year is it's biggest event so far. Around 175 vendors pack Palo Cedro Park for the two day festival. Live music, arts, crafts, and plenty of food and drink are available, but the real star of the show is the honeybee itself.

Ryan Burris who owns Park Legacy Queens is a third generation beekeeper and he tells Action News Now that the California bee population is in now in good shape thanks to the diligent work of beekeepers making sure their hives are free of mites and diseases. Burris also says that people can help keep the bee population strong by planting bee friendly flowers like lavender and avoid using pesticides during the day. He says that spraying late at night and early in the morning allows the chemicals to subside before bee flight times. 

Festival organizers say that they expect over 8,000 people to enjoy the event that helps raise money for the community park. The festival runs through Sunday.