| Over 1,500 people attended the 29th annual West Virginia State Honey Festival in Parkersburg this weekend, including a number of honeybee folks from Calhoun and regional counties.
The local West Central Beekeeping Association attended the event, the group has grown from 16 members at its' inception, to nearly 50 members.
"This year we had some new things and more vendor participation than we have had in several years," said Tom Riddle, president of the WV Honey Festival.
A speech by Dr. Nancy Ostiguy of Penn State University, "What is Happening with the Honey Bee," shed light on the challenges beekeepers have in replenishing the valuable bees.
She said, "About 30 percent of the colonies are still dying, which is better than it was, but we don't know the cause...We really should find out the cause because bees pollinate all of the interesting things in our diets - like fruits and vegetables."
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