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Bee-ing Good Stewards of Nature

Debbie and Richard Moon take their bee-havior very seriously

Debbie Moon and husband Richard, decked out in his bee apparel, have taken up the cause of restoring honeybees, devastated by CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder)

Debbie Moon was distressed when a old tamarack tree on the property of Reliant Credit Union was unrooted during a wind storm last year. Debbie is the Manager for Reliant Credit Union in Macedon, on Victor Road , and called to have the tree removed. Unbeknownst to the manager, at the time of the tree toppling, was the matter of a large bee hive hidden in the trunk.

Having heard about recent problems honeybee hive losses from CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) and how much bee pollination affects the environment, Deb to spoke to her husband Richard about what to do. “He's very green-friendly, and always wants to do the right thing for the environment,” said Debbie. “These beloved insects are so valuable to the food chain. We just wanted to be a part of bringing them back,” she added.

The Moons decided to request that the bee hive be preserved and planned to dive into the bee-keeping business themselves. The large hive, estimated at 500 feet long was sadly lost, due to a miscommunication about its fate. The loss, however, did not deter the Moons from their high-minded plan. Although they live in Pittsford, Richard and Debbie own land in Naples with apple trees. They decided it would be the perfect site for several hives for their soon- to-be-formed bee business. It wouldn't hurt their apple tree pollination either.

“We decided to start with 2 hives, about 25,000 bees,” said Debbie. “If you do 6 or more hives, it become a part time business, with a great deal of time involved,” explained Richard. They chose to keep it a hobby.

How do a credit union manager and a cable splicer for Frontier get themselves starter as beekeepers? “Call the experts and take classes,” said Richard.

You must register with the Agricultural Society to begin beekeeping and take the 14 weeks of classes (2 hours each). Their classes were held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building in Canandaigua and taught by the Ontario/Finger Lakes Beekeepers Association.

There they learned about bee habits, bee diseases, bee handling, bee safety and equipment, and the pitfalls and pleasure of owning hives. “You have to have a mentor to help you get started, setting up your hives, and monitoring them,” said Richard, “and later you become a mentor yourself.”

Pesticides, insecticides, and diseases can all destroy a hive, according to the Moons. “If your hive gets an infection, it must be destroyed; it has to be burned,” Richard said sadly. “You can lose your investment overnight.”

The Financial outlay for initial set up (buying the bees and hives, installing electric fencing around the hives to keep out predators, protective outerwear and smokers) ran the Moons about $1200. “It might have cost more, but we had some of the fencing and batteries for the electric perimeter fence already on hand,” said Deb.

The protective outerwear includes gloves and a full coverage jumpsuit, with detachable screened face covering. “They told us it is essential to always wear head protection to avoid bee stings on the face, eyes, and ears,” said Richard. “After a while, the bees in your hive will get used to your scent, and you're less likely to be stung on your hand or body; but the head is always vulnerable.”

Are they not afraid of bee stings? “Not really,” they both agreed. The equipment is very protective and the training gives them calm and confidence. “Bees don't want to sting you,” said Debbie. “If they do, they die.” Also, Richard reassured that Upstate New York is too far north to allow the bees to africanize the dreaded “killer bees”. The Moons also must keep “epi-pens” on their person when handling and caring for their hives. The epi-pens auto-injectors contain epinephrine is designed as emergency supportive therapy while medical treatment is on its way.

The excitement about beginning their hives, shows on the faces of Richard and Debbie. “We are so anxious for their bees to arrive. The electric fence is in and we're ready to go,” Debbie said gleefully. The hives are due in by April 19th.

Anyone interested in pursing a beekeeping business can direct their inquiries to the Ontario Finger Lakes Beekeepers Association by sending email to: samhall@rochester.rr.com.