KELLY TOWNSHIP -- Quite a "buzz" in Central PA today. People came to Union County from all over the country for honey bees!
Today was "Bee Day" at a farm near Lewisburg, where people could buy honey bees in bulk to start their own bee hives.
They may beeeee pesky, and it can hurt when they sting, but it's no secret that honey bees help the environment.
These people know the importance of honey bees and came to Brushy Mountain Bee Farm near Lewisburg to buy them in bulk.
"I'm a herbalist and so I'm working with the bees as a way to pollinate the medicinal plants I work with," Jennifer Allen said.
"They come up just so they can better their environment around their house and to help out everybody else," Jim Wilson said.
Jim Wilson is the manager at Brushy Mountain Bee Farm near Lewisburg. The farm raises bees and manufactures beekeeping supplies.
"They have declined rapidly over the last few years and they are still declining. We are here to educate people on how to keep the bees and how to get those populations back up," Wilson said.
The farm sells these boxes filled with bees for $90 so people can raise them at home.
When people get their bee kits, many aren't sure what to do with them when they get home. Staff gave a demonstration on how to start your hive. Somehow I ended up being the assistant!
There were between 12,000-15,000 bees inside that box. That can be intimidating for new beekeepers.
The staff recommends new beekeepers dress in full gear. Dottie Zimmerman watched the demonstration and is excited to raise bees herself.
"Confident enough to try it. I'm taking my bees and going home," Zimmerman said.
The beekeepers say by the end of the summer those 15,000 bees will turn into 60,000 bees.
In case you were wondering, photographer Tom Durant and I did not get stung during that assignment.