"Our club is a neat thing," said Lori Stahl of the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society. "We have been around since the mid-1800s." Stahl noted that at one time the organization changed its name to the Lancaster Honey Producers, but in the early 2000s, it was restored to the original name. "It has always been about beekeepers mentoring new beekeepers and being advocates for the honeybees," she explained.
To help give beginning beekeepers a sweet start, the organization normally holds a one-day workshop in late January or early February. According to Stahl, past events attracted about 100 attendees, with another 100 fledgling beekeepers on a waiting list. This year's event was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Stahl said that the organization hopes to hold the 2022 event.
Another service the organization offers is swarm retrieval. Swarms occur when a hive divides itself. "The queen and a bunch of the bees leave," said Stahl. "(Bees) swarm anywhere between April and October, but the bulk happens in May," noted Stahl, displaying photos of swarms she retrieved during 2020 on her phone. "A typical traditional swarm looks like a big ball of bees." The organization's website - http://www.lancasterbeekeepers.org - provides a list of swarm collectors divided by location. "A swarm may sit there for 20 minutes, two hours, or two days," said Stahl. "When you see a swarm, you want to get a beekeeper there as fast as you can." Stahl said that beekeepers use a special bee box that smells familiar to bees with an entrance that can be made smaller and even closed to capture bees.
The website also offers informational documents under the "Members" tab, including an article on designing a garden for pollinators. Stahl recommends that gardeners plant flowers that bloom in February, March, early April, August, September, October, and November. "When it's the end of April, bees can find nectar and pollen everywhere," she explained. She also encourages allowing some clover, violets, and even dandelions in the green landscape of the lawn to create pollinator islands.
Stahl said that putting out water for bees can be a controversial subject because water can be a point of disease transfer. She recommends only putting out water after several weeks of drought and then being sure to include rocks or logs for bees to keep them from drowning. "Some bees have the job of being the water collectors," she said, noting that water can be used to cool the hive or thin honey that has crystallized for use.
"A lot of people are using the venom from honeybees for medicinal purposes," said Stahl, who noted that treatments for arthritis and Lyme disease are being studied. She noted that if one is stung accidentally, it is wise not to grab the stinger. "Use a fingernail to flick the stinger up and away," she said. "If you squeeze, you (are injecting) the venom into you, but by flicking you remove the whole thing."
In addition to the website, information about the society may be found by searching for "Lancaster County Beekeepers Society" on Facebook.
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