Olympia Beekeepers Association Keeps Honeybees Buzzing in Thurston County and Surrounding Areas

The nonprofit association of experienced and new beekeepers meets monthly in Olympia. The association provides education, training, and support for beekeepers in Thurston County and surrounding areas including Mason and Grays Harbor counties.

This help for honeybees is also crucial to the planet’s welfare. “Bees are essential pollinators that play a critical role in our ecosystem and food system,” Save the Bee reports. “Honeybees are responsible for pollinating many crops that provide us with food, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Unfortunately, honeybee populations have declined in recent years due to habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and disease. This decline has significant implications for our food system and the environment, making it crucial to raise awareness and take action to protect honeybees.”

Luckily, people in Thurston County and surrounding areas can turn to the Olympia Beekeepers Association to learn more about how to sustain and expand the honeybee population.

Honeybee Education is Key Role for the Olympia Beekeepers Association

The association says its members geek out on the details of honeybees and beekeeping and are excited to share their knowledge with the broader community. Education is a key role for the Olympia Beekeepers Association. The members conduct classes at the Swantown Inn Bed & Breakfast in Olympia, staff a booth at the Thurston County Fair, provide speakers, and maintain a library.

The association offers a free Beginning Beekeeping two-hour class as an introduction to the basics of being a hobbyist beekeeper. This class educates interested people before they decide to invest time, energy and money in setting up an apiary of beehives. “We tell you enough so that you can gauge whether you really want to do it, and why,” says Allan. “Do you want to pollinate your garden? Do you want to pollinate the neighborhood? Do you want to make honey? Do you want to save the bees?”

a person in a bee suit removing a bee tray for a hive — Persons interested in learning more about becoming a beekeeper can take a free Beginning Beekeeping class through the Olympia Beekeepers Association. More information is on the association’s website. Photo courtesy: Olympia Beekeeping Association

The more advanced Apprenticeship Class of six two-hour sessions is geared to association members who are new to beekeeping, want to start beekeeping, or want to refresh their beekeeping knowledge and skills. And association members can access a library of beekeeping books and equipment.

This year the Thurston County Fair was all about bees with its “Buzz on Down” to the fairgrounds theme. The fair’s bee-focus provided a terrific opportunity for the Olympia Beekeepers Association to enhance public education at its rejuvenated Bee Booth where its members provided information to hundreds of people. Several association members submitted honey for official judging at the fair. In addition, fairgoers participated in the association’s first-ever blind tasting of honeys produced by members’ bees. Honey colors varied from dark to light, with tasters reporting flavors such as blackberry, barley, alcohol, molasses and maple. Allan says most of our area’s honey carries the taste of wildflowers. While the 2024 fair has ended, you can still buy local honey at the Olympia Farmers Market and the Swantown Inn.

jars of honey for judging at the Thurston County Fair — Olympia Beekeepers Association members submitted honey for judging at the Thurston County Fair this year. The association also staffed a Bee Booth with educational materials and held a blind tasting of honeys produced by members’ bees. Photo courtesy: Olympia Beekeepers Association

The association also gives Beekeeping 101 community presentations when invited, at a variety of locations such as the Hands On Children’s Museum, Timberland Regional Library, organizations’ meetings, and in schools. “The schools will be a big thing, especially in elementary schools,” says Allan of the association’s outreach plans. “We can work with the teachers to make sure it fits in the curriculum.”

Allan says the Inspire Olympia program funds that the association received this year enable enhanced educational outreach at the improved fair booth and aid their plan for more teaching sessions in schools.

Need to Move a Honeybee Swarm? Contact the Olympia Beekeepers Association

The association provides another public service, which is removing unwanted swarms of honeybees at no cost. They do not remove wasp nests. “Most swarms happen in April to May,” explains Allan. He says the swarms typically occur when honeybees outgrow their space and look for a new home.

If your property houses a swarm of honeybees that you want moved to a more hospitable setting, you can contact the association’s swarm coordinator. The coordinator will need the street address, how high the swarm is off the ground, a telephone contact number, a description of access to the swarm, and any other pertinent information.

Keep Up on the Buzz About Honeybees Through the Olympia Beekeepers Association

Contact the Olympia Beekeepers Association to begin your beekeeping journey, learn how to become a member, discuss removing a honeybee swarm, or arrange for a speaker. Visit its website and Facebook page to keep up on the beekeeping buzz.

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering MagR expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the MagR gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups. Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US

The largest “killer hornets” in the world were exterminated in the US The US informed that it had exterminated the worldʼs largest hornets, nicknamed "killer hornets" — they are capable of occupying a hive of honey bees in just 90 minutes, decapitating all its inhabitants and feeding their offspring to their own. This was reported by the Department of Agriculture in Washington. The hornets, which can reach five centimeters in length, were previously called Asian giant hornets, but in 2019 they were also spotted in Washington state near the Canadian border. In China, these insects killed 42 people and seriously injured 1,675. A dead northern giant hornet (below) next to a native bald hornet. According to experts, the hornets could have entered North America in plant pots or shipping containers. The hornet can sting through most beekeeper suits because it produces nearly seven times more venom than a honeybee and stings multiple times. Thatʼs why the Washington Departme...

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making

From Classroom to Hive: Jeff Tech students experience sweet journey of honey making The Courier Express has partnered with digital media arts students at Jeff Tech to highlight accomplishments and updates from the school. q q q REYNOLDSVILLE — The new “Intro to Agriculture” class, taught by advanced manufacturing instructor Perry Neal, has recently been buzzing throughout the halls of Jeff Tech. The course has been receiving positive feedback from both students and teachers. “It’s a great class. I love it,” said Jeff Tech student Jacob DeFoor. Student Kyle Lasher said, “I’m really considering getting bees of my own.” Intro to Agriculture is an 18-week course that starts with students learning anything and everything bees. They gather together to learn the process and safety procedures of making honey from scratch with locally-sourced honey bees. In class, students research pollination, foods that contain honey, where to purchase hive equipment, types of bees, etc., according to N...

Researchers use advanced robotics to study honeybee behaviour

Researchers use advanced robotics to study honeybee behaviour Researchers from our top-rated Computer Science department have made significant advances in understanding honeybee behaviour through the use of innovative robotic technology. The study, published in the cover page of prestigious journal - Science Robotics, offers unprecedented insights into the daily activities of honeybee colonies, particularly focusing on the queen bee and her interactions with worker bees. Robotic system provides continuous monitoring The research team, led by Professor Farshad Arvin, developed a sophisticated robotic system capable of continuous, long-term observation of bee hives. This system employs two high-resolution cameras that work autonomously, tracking the queen bee's movements and mapping the contents of the honeycomb. This technology allows the researchers to collect data on bee behaviour 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Researchers say this level of continuous monitoring was previous...

The Unexpected Surge: America's Honeybees Buzz Back to Record Numbers

The Unexpected Surge: America's Honeybees Buzz Back to Record Numbers In an age where environmental narratives often lean towards loss and decline, the story of the American honeybee offers a glimmer of hope and a puzzle to solve. Recent data from the Census of Agriculture reveals an astonishing rebound in the honeybee population, now soaring to an all-time high of 3.8 million colonies. This revelation comes as a surprise against the backdrop of two decades marked by fears of colony collapse and the potential ramifications for ecosystems and agriculture. The surge in bee populations brings to light a series of questions and insights into the intertwined worlds of agriculture, conservation, and legislation. Central to this narrative is the state of Texas, where legislative changes have catalyzed a beekeeping boom by offering agricultural tax breaks to landowners cultivating honeybees. This policy shift, coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit of Texans and the essential role of bees...

Small actions make a big difference engilsh dkbee.com

이 블로그 검색