Local beekeeper stays ‘bee-sy’ by reusing political yard signs for hives
Bees have been a part of Laura Griffiths’ life for over 11 years, her beekeeping journey started in her neighbor’s land, and she’s not stopped since.
“I learned how to make my own, catching swarms, I learned how to make my own hives so that the cost is less, and so, I’ve just loved it,” said Griffith.
Beekeeping is expensive, especially the cost of wood to create hives, so Laura got creative.
She took to the internet and found an easy way to save some money: political yard signs.
She uses them as bottom boards, and top boards as a way to keep the hives dry.
“I have a political sign here and on top of this empty box. So you know you can divide boxes with them. So that’s how it would work as a bottom board. If I was gonna use it as a bottom board, I kinda just put my box just a little further up so it has a hole here so the bees can get in and out. And then I would put one on top with a brick. This one’s been used a while, as you can see, it’s got bee paraphernalia on the bottom, populous and such,” said Griffith.
Next on her journey is to create a swarm box out of the larger signs.
“Use it like you would wood, and so you would cut it up and make a little box out of it, you could put those up in the trees and they’re lighter than a swarm box made out of wood would be, so it’s easier to take down from a tree once you have bees in it,” said Griffith.
Bees are Laura’s passion, even swarming into her work life as a realtor, her slogan being: “Let me be the realtor to help you find your home sweet home.” And these cheaper adjustments with the yard signs keeps her ‘bee-sy’ and lets her ‘bee’ happy.
“You can make something like this out of the plastic and it would be lighter and less expensive, and I put a lot of those in trees for the swarms in the spring,” said Griffith, “and it makes us beekeepers happy to catch swarms.”
If you’d like to donate your political yard signs, contact your local beekeepers to see if they use them, just remember, not everyone does, but Laura ‘bee-lieves’ in the craft.