HONEYBEES BEING BROUGHT TO REGION - Could Improve Genetic Pool

(05/28/2010)

Submitted by Sharon Christ The West Central Beekeepers Association has just brought more honey bees to the community. Association president Dale Cunningham and Boyde Hamrick traveled to Parsons to pick up a load of bees, supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Poling of the Mountain State Honey Company. Seventeen packages of honeybees were purchased through the joint efforts of the WV Queen Producers Association, who received a grant from the WV Department of Agriculture allowing a 50% cost sharing venture for local beekeeping associations. The grant was administered by Tom Kees, president of the WV Beekeepers Association. The purpose of the venture is to encourage WV beekeepers to purchase WV produced honeybees instead of bringing them in from other states. The general consensus is that if producers in WV can supply more WV produced queens and bees, possibly a stronger, more sustainable genetic pool will develop, thereby reducing some of the diseases, as well as weather related problems that affect honeybee population. Boyde Hamrick is an experienced beekeeper who has provided transportation for all shipments, as well as assisting local beekeepers and instructing the assembly of wooden ware used in beekeeping. This brings a total of 58 new colonies of honeybees that West Central has been instrumental in incorporating into our local area this year. For more about beekeeping see wvbeekeepers.org

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