Wannabe Bee Keeper Club fosters bee keeping in the Black Hills
Published: Feb. 26, 2025 at 3:42 AM GMT+9
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - The Wannabee Bee Keeping Club has been in the Black Hills since 2009, fostering and developing an interest in beekeeping and preserving honey bees in the Black Hills.
The honey bee population has seen a decline in recent years. However, thanks to clubs like Wannabee Beekeepers, beekeeping has become both a hobby and a passion for those in the Black Hills.
Anyone interested in beekeeping is welcome to join the club. They typically meet on the second Wednesday of every month, and the meetings are spent learning how to manage and take care of a bee colony.
They also offer a scholarship to one member of the youth that grants them an opportunity to have their own hive and learn how to take care of bees.
South Dakota produces some of the highest amounts of honey in the country. In 2009, South Dakota had 185 registered beekeepers with 30 percent being commercial producers and 70 percent being hobbyist beekeepers. There were 290,000 colonies registered in the state in 2009.
Nationwide, the average annual production per hive was 67 pounds, from 2002 to 2007. In South Dakota, it was an estimated 71 pounds per hive in the same time frame. South Dakota ranks between fist and fifth in the United States in total honey production.
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