Beekeepers continue to struggle to provide enough hives of bees to meet the need for pollination.  In a recent study 19 beekeepers indicated they were managing 12,477 colonies (pre‐winter losses) for which they reported 21,745 rentals (1.7 rentals/col). These rentals generated approximately$1,413,674 gross pollination income. Winter

losses were significant, averaging 31.7% with a range of 6 to 70%. These numbers are slightly higher than the national average of winter losses for 2008‐2009 (29%) (VanEngelsdorp, et al 2010).   Hopefully, spring splitting will enable beekeepers to recover colony numbers. 

Here at Terrible Creek, we are hard at work rescuing colonies from commercial and residential structures, as well as scouting retail providers for strong, healthy bee colonies at manageable prices.   As the number of viable colonies goes down, the price per colony goes up.  If we can create our own by splitting or rescue, we can hold down costs for our clients.

Our colony, rescued from North Raleigh last fall, failed to survive the winter - not unexpected since they would have had little time and forage to put away nectar and pollen.  In spite of feeding with sugar water and pollen cakes, we lost a pretty little colony from the garden.  On the other hand, our hives are hard at work on a neighbor's Red Clover (planted last fall) so we expect some delicious honey in the next few weeks. 

Watch for an upcoming extraction event, June 6.

It all started with a call from 'The Villages' in North Raleigh to Frye Exterminating Company; but, the flying insects nesting in the floor of a second story deck turned out to be domestic honeybees.  Terrible Creek Beekeepers, llc was called in to assess the situation and to come up with a plan-of-action.  The goal of everybody concerned was to save the bees; and, to clear the way for the Property Manager to make needed repairs to the existing floor structure. 

Over several site visits, TCBeekeepers removed finish floor materials and provided standard 'bee real estate' - a shallow super - to get the bees interested in relocating.  A final section of plywood was sawn up with the 'burr comb' still intact.  The plywood section was sized to fit the shallow super with the attached comb still suspended over the original space it occupied between floor joists in the deck.  The bees are resting comfortably on site over the holiday weekend. 

Next week TCBeekeepers will add more vertical bee space and prepare the colony for transport
to Terrible Creek Eco-Center in Fuquay Varina.  You're invited to come visit The Swarm once it's settled in its new home in Southwest Wake County.

Check back next week for more on the exciting adventure of Swarm Capture in North Raleigh.

It's time to order colonies of bees for Spring, 2009.  Let us know if you want a hive of bees in your backyard - a landscape feature and a source of pollination for your fruit, flower, and vegetable crops. 

We also provide hives of bees to field and farm for crop specific pollination

Call us if you have swarming bees or a rogue hive already established in your residential or commercial structure.  After an initial site visit we will develop a proposal for demolition, hive removal, and structural repairs as required. 

Terrible Creek Beekeepers, llc is at work in our community and beyond, delivering hives of bees to distant agricultural and horticultural sites.  The bee hive will become a permanent feature in your landscape and provide pollination to your flowering, fruiting, and forage crops.