05-04-2025
Chipley buzzing with 2025 Panhandle Bee Conference
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – There are about 5000 beekeepers in the state of Florida, managing around 750,000 bee colonies. The bees benefit not only the environment but the economy as well.
'Honeybees specifically are very important for specialty crops and pollination purposes in our nation. So, without bees, there would not be a lot of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that you see at the grocery store. And we have our beekeepers to thank for that,' UF/IFAS State Specialized Extension Agent Amy Vu said.
'Everything they do helps everything else in the environment. You know, the pollination services, the honey creation, the wax, I mean, literally every aspect of their life is beneficial to people and the ecosystem,' AA Live Bee Removal Owner Emil Albrecht said.
Whether beekeeping is your hobby, your business, or just a venture you're thinking about exploring, the Panhandle Bee Conference is for you.
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'We can either help somebody who hasn't even started beekeeping yet, or who have some intermediate or advanced skills. So we really wanted to make it welcoming to anybody at any level,' UF/IFAS Horticulture & Regional Specialized Agent Julie McConnell said.
Those in attendance were able to listen to expert speakers, take classes, and receive a live hive demonstration where they could spot the queen bee.
Danny Bost attended the event in 2019 with the idea of getting into beekeeping. Now, he's the president of the Central Panhandle Beekeepers Association.
'Beekeeper needs the right tools to be able to do what they do successfully. If not, then the only thing they're going to do is they're going to get frustrated,' Central Panhandle Beekeepers Association President Danny Bost said.
Bost now shares those tools with the beekeeping community.
'The number of beekeepers that we have in Florida is constantly growing. So, any time that you increase the number of bees, you also increase the amount of honey that comes in. Honey isn't doing nothing but going up in value,' Bost said.
Remember, it is springtime, and the professional pollinators are out and about.
'The bees are getting really excited. It's starting to warm up outside. And so as flowers start to bloom, those bees are foraging and looking for the resources out there so that they can be productive in their own homes,' Vu said.
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'This is something not to be scared of. They're docile during this time period. And if you do see that and you don't want the bees and the surrounding area, call a beekeeper; they'll come and get them for you,' Bost added.
The second day of the conference starts Saturday at 9:00 a.m. You can buy tickets at the door until 10:30.
To learn more about honey bees click here, if you need them removed from your home, click here.
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