The North Carolina
New Beekeeper Cost-sharing Program
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Please note that
the statewide New Beekeeper Cost-sharing program was conducted in 2005,
thus we are not accepting applications at this time. However, several
county chapters of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA)
may be providing hives to students in their beekeeping short course,
so you may wish to visit the NCSBA website
for more information.
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Our sincerest thanks
and deepest gratitude goes to the following persons and organizations
for their assistance, volunteerism, hard work, and involvement in
the 2005 NC New Beekeeper Cost-sharing Program, making it the success
that it was.
The
funding agency, the Golden
LEAF foundation, for having the vision to fund the project and
for improving its implementation State
Senator Fountain Odom and Charles Heatherly, for their enthusiasm,
dedication, and support of the proposal and project, without which
the program never would have materialized
The
many, many members of the North
Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA) who have been
so supportive of the program since its inception, particularly the
executive committee, including J. D. Foust (President), Norman Faircloth
(1 st Vice President), Bill Smith (2 nd Vice
President), Paul Madren (Treasurer), Audrey Moore (Corresponding
Secretary), and Joe Smith (Recording Secretary) A
special thanks goes to the Wake
County Beekeepers Association for their volunteer efforts during
the Eastern distribution, including Larry Green (President), Cyndi
Bell, Denton Bell, Joe Flowers, Kara Martin, Bill Herndon, and Lonnie
Drain Steve
& Sandy Forest and the entire staff at Brushy
Mountain Bee Farm for supplying half of the equipment needed
to provide two hives to half of the participants, organizing the
Western distribution at their facility, and working on a weekend
so all the participants could order their last minute beekeeping
supplies Presley
& Beverly Miller of Miller
Bee Supply for supplying half of the hive equipment, which allowed
us provide two complete hives of equipment to half of the participants Jack
Tapp for supplying the 250 packages of bees for the Eastern distribution
Reg
Wilbanks and Wilbanks Apiaries for supplying the 250 packages for
the Western distribution, and for supplying the majority of the
Italian queens for the entire program
A
special thanks goes to Bill Sheppard and Bill Lathan for providing
additional Italian queens at the last minute when the number of
Russian queens was inadequate
Everyone
involved in the post hoc lottery selection committee meeting: Gene
Cross, Steve and Sandy Forest, J.D. Foust, Charles Heatherly, Will
Hicks, Kathy Kidd, Dick Lippard, Donald Moore, and Sen. Fountain
Odom
All
of those providing media coverage of the program, particularly Steve
Hartsoe (Associated Press) and Adam Hochberg (National Public Radio)
for their marvelous stories that significantly broadcast the program
The
NC Cooperative
Extension Service for helping to disseminate the information
and application forms for the program, as well as for the tireless
efforts of the field faculty in assisting the beekeepers in their
area All
the mentors who helped one or more of the cost-share participants
and answered endless questions about bees as the beginner hobbyists
learned their new craft; without you, the program simply would not
have been a success
All
of the county beekeeping organizations that continue to support
all new beekeepers (participants or otherwise), as well as their
associated beekeeping short courses that helped to solicit applicants
to the program and to train the new beekeepers
And
of course, each of the participants for their involvement and new-found
dedication to beekeeping and our beloved honey bee
Program
description
(see
also our article in Bee Culture)
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a vital component of agriculture
in North Carolina. Honey bees and the products of the hive, including
honey, pollen, and bees wax account for approximately $10 million dollars
annually in the state. However, the products derived directly from honey
bees are only a small part of their true value. As bees visit flowers
to collect nectar and pollen, they transfer pollen grains from one flower
to another, which fertilizes them and produces fruit and seeds. Without
visits from bees, many crops would have lower yields and produce foods
of lower quality. In North Carolina, many of the economically important
crops, such as cucumbers, apples, blueberries, and melons are dependent
on honey bees for pollination and account for $100 million dollars every
year.
Unfortunately, the fate of the honey bee in North Carolina is in question.
Because of pests and diseases that have been introduced from other parts
of the world, the honey bee population has declined dramatically in
the past 20 years. It has been estimated that 98% of the feral (wild)
colonies have been eliminated. The numbers of managed colonies have
also suffered, dropping in number from a high of 180,000 in the late
1980’s to approximately 100,000 at present. Due to the lack of
feral colonies, it is of great importance to maintain the numbers of
managed honey bee colonies to insure adequate crop pollination.
The pest that has proven the most serious problem for the honey bee
is the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor). This is a small mite
that lives on honey bees and feeds on the developing bee larvae. A colony
of bees can tolerate small numbers of these mites, but when the population
of the mites in a bee colony reaches a critical level, the number of
bees begins to decline and eventually the colony becomes so weak that
it dies. Recent studies have shown that some honey bees have a greater
resistance to this mite than others. The Russian honey bee is one that
has shown to have a greater resistance.
The Apiculture program at North
Carolina State University, with funding from the Golden
LEAF Foundation of North Carolina, is promoting a program to increase
the number of active beekeepers and honey bee colonies in the state
of North Carolina. The program will be open to all residents of North
Carolina that are interested in learning the art of beekeeping. The
program is a cost-sharing program. Each participant may be able to receive
two colonies of Russian honey bees with bee hives, but additional materials—such
as protective clothing, smokers, and additional hive equipment (which
may cost anywhere from $50-$150 per hive)—will be the responsibility
of the individual.
The eligibility requirements for the program are:
- applicant must be a current resident of North Carolina
- applicant must be a current member, or willing to join, a local
beekeeping organization
- applicant must pick up bees and equipment at specified location
on specified date (April 2005)
- only one application per household
Additionally, in order to be considered for the program, applicants
must agree to acknowledge the receipt of materials by phone or e-mail;
agree not to sell materials obtained through the program within 2 years
after receipt; agree to return the bees and materials upon quitting
the program; agree to respond to a follow-up survey; assume personal
liability for all materials, including honey bees; and be willing to
collect and share data related to the project.
All interested parties must fill out an application and return it to
the appropriate location no later than February 11, 2005.
Applicants will be screened for eligibility
by a panel of NCSU program administrators, officers of the North Carolina
State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA), and NCDA Apiary Inspectors.
Interest in the program does not imply acceptance; demand may exceed
our limited supply of resources, in which case participants will be
chosen through a lottery system.
Successful candidates will be notified by program administrators in
early March and will be given further instructions about how to participate.
Participants will be assigned a local beekeeper mentor through the NCSBA
and their local county chapters. The mentors will volunteer their time
and work with each participant to guide their progress, assist their
development, and foster their beekeeping skills.
For additional information about the program, email
us or call the NCSU Apiculture Program at 919-513-7702.
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