To Bee Or Not To Bee

Clay Gordin has always had a fascination with the whole process of beekeeping.

Gordin is interested in the insect itself, pollination, honey making and honey harvesting. But he said he had never had the time to take a class on the subject when he was in college. Now retired, he is interested in getting into beekeeping in a small, personal way.

Gordin was one of the several dozen participants in a beginning beekeeping class Monday at Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center in Fayetteville.

The class was the first of three, with two more set Jan. 20 and 27. The classes, led by speaker Jon Zawislak, Extension bee specialist for the University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture, are sponsored by Northwest Arkansas Beekeepers Association, and all sessions are free with no preregistration required.

To start beekeeping, a person will need to obtain a bee hive.

The worldwide standard is the Langstroth hive, which features interchangeable components, Zawislak said. A beekeeper can order hives already assembled, order a knock-down kit with already cut lumber or build his own hive. Zawislak suggested visiting beesource.com for more information on all of these ways to get a hive. Beekeepers are required by state law to register the locations of their bee hives with the Arkansas State Plant Board, according to “Beginning Beekeeping: The Hive and the Honey Bee,” a handout provided at the Jan. 13 class. For more information about the board, visit plantboard.org.

“There is no end to all the gadgets you will need to keep bees,” Zawislak noted, but there are just a few that people really must have to get started. One tool is a bee smoker, and a quality smoker will last for years, he said.

“People discovered a long time ago that a little puff of smoke makes the bees nice and calm, and you can do a lot of mean things to them as long as you keep a little smoke in the hive,” he said.

Honey bees communicate with each other using pheromones - odors the bees give off that convey specific messages, Zawislak said. One of the pheromones is an alarm pheromone. When a bee gets upset, it gives off this pheromone, and smoke interferes with the next bee’s ability to detect that pheromone, he added. If one bee smells alarm pheromone, it gives off more alarm pheromone and can start a chain reaction.

“(Alarm pheromone) has a chemical in it that is also found in banana peels,” he noted, so if a beekeeper catches a whiff of banana in the air when working with his bees, that means the bees are getting a little riled up.

Also needed is a hive tool, which is used for scraping and prying. Zawislak said beekeepers, especially beginners, may also want to invest in protective clothing. A veil can keep bees out of ears, nose and eyes, he said. Some of these come as a hat and veil and others have attached jackets. There are also full coveralls available. He said to also get gloves that fit correctly. If they are too big, the floppy fingers may “wind up squishing bees when you’re trying to feel around.” Plastic gloves are gaining in popularity, but leather gloves are more traditional, he said.

“As you gain more experience with your bees, you’re going to be more comfortable with your bees, and you’re going to start to shed some of this stuff,” Zawislak said.

Many beekeepers don’t wear gloves at all, he said. Working with bare hands is very effective and actually much easier, according to the handout.

Zawislak said most suppliers offer a beginner’s kit. However, don’t just look at the price tag, he noted. Read the fine print to understand what comes in the kit.

He said friends of beekeepers may start to put them in the same category as lion tamers and shark divers.

“People will not understand your obsession with bees. They will think that you are completely crazy, and you probably have a pet alligator in your bathtub, too.”

Let them think that, he said.

“We know that this is going to be one of the most rewarding things that you can do.”