Maintaining a strong buzz

If you find gathering honey from a hive filled with 60,000 bees to be relaxing and enjoyable, the Sheboygan County Beekeepers’ Association (SCBA) might be right up your alley.

The SCBA was formed in the mid-1970s to give all beekeepers in the county a chance to unite for a common purpose.

Nine times a year SCBA members gather to share information and promote methods of producing honey, managing bee colonies and educating the public on the value of bees and beekeeping.

Today over 40 members are keeping the SCBA alive with regular informational meetings, educational presentations and regular beekeeping activities.

Kurt Peterson of Sheboygan Falls, who serves as the vice president of the SCBA, says the club is comprised of three types of beekeepers – hobbyists, sideliners and commercial.

“The majority of our members are hobbyists, which means they basically do it for enjoyment, rather than to make a living,” he said. “Hobbyists generally operate 10 or fewer hives.

“Sideliners are in between hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. They have more hives and do it for supplementary income. Commercial beekeepers make a living doing it. They often have 1,000 hives or more. Right now, we only have one commercial beekeeper in our club.

Petersen was introduced to the joys of beekeeping in the late 1990s.

“I received a beekeeping book for Christmas one year,” he said. “It intrigued me so much that I decided to get my own hives and start doing it.”

His initial hives were located in the backyard of his home on Paradise Lane in Sheboygan Falls. Now eight of his 12 hives at located on a friend’s property, just down the road from his house. The other four are stationed at his cottage in Princeton.

“Between 10 and 12 hives is a pretty manageable number for me, because I am basically in between a hobbyist and a sideliner.”

Petersen as the owner of small honey-making business, he says he sells enough to cover his beekeeping expenses.

“Most hobbyists use the honey they gather for their family and friends,” he said. “I do that as well, but I also sell some as well. I really enjoy it.”

Petersen disagrees with the common perception that bees should be feared.

“I find beekeeping to be a very calming activity,” he said. “To me, it is enjoyable and relaxing.

“In saying that, getting stung is just part of the game. At first, I got stung quite a bit. The key is learning how to use the smoker and dress properly with the white suite and veil. I rarely get stung now.”

Petersen uses twine as the fuel for his smoker.

“I use twine because it produces a dense, but cool type of smoke that works well to calm the bees,” he said. “Basically the smoke is beneficial in reducing the activity level of the bees, when working around the hives.

“There is a belief that the smoke gives the bees the idea that the hive is on fire and to get out of the area. It really stupefies them.”

The beekeeping season begins each May when the pollen and nectar season fire up in the area.

“Activity gradually builds up from the spring into the summer months,” Petersen said. “At the height of summer, you can get up to 50,000 to 60,000 bees per hive.

“At that point, the queen bee is laying up to 2,000 eggs per day,” he said. “When the queen stops laying eggs in the fall, activity slows down pretty quickly.”

According to Petersen, the average hive produces 80 pounds of honey per year.

“Honey production varies quite a bit, depending on several factors,” he said. “Sometimes hives can produce up to 200 pounds in a year.”

During the winter, the population of a typical hive drops to 10,000 to 20,000, as activity declines dramatically.

“Bees don’t really hibernate, but they do cluster together to keep warm in the winter,” Petersen said. “If there is enough honey stored, a hive can survive pretty well through the winter months.

“The cluster temperature is commonly considered to be 57 degrees,” he said. “When it gets above 57, the bees come out of the hive and begin their work. Otherwise they stay inside and cluster.”

Honey is commonly found in two forms – raw and processed.

“Raw, or unprocessed honey, retains all the natural flavors, enzymes and antioxidants that have positive health benefits,” Petersen said. “Processed honey is generally what you find in the stores. Processed honey is heated, so it won’t crystallize, that’s why it comes out as a fluid liquid.”

The color and taste of honey is determined by wherever bees collect pollen. There are over 300 known flavors of honey in the United States.

“Some people are surprised to learn that there are so many different flavors,” Petersen said. “The color can vary quite a bit as well.”

Types of honey include clover, basswood, orange, wildflower and sourwood. Colors vary from clear white to golden yellow, deep amber and even blue honey, from the sourwood blossoms in North Carolina.

In addition to honey, beehives also produce beeswax, which can be used for candles, soaps and polishes, as well as cosmetics like lip balm and skin creme.

“Forty pounds of honey generally yields one pound of beeswax,” Petersen said. “A lot of hobbyist keep the beeswax for themselves, but can be sold for many different uses.”

The SCBA meets from March through November on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. at the Sheboygan County Agriculture Building, located at 650 Forest Ave. in Sheboygan Falls.

“We welcome all new members,” Petersen said. “I’m confident that there are a significant number of beekeepers out there that are not part of our club.

“I’ve found being part of the club has been very valuable for me as a beekeeper,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot as a member of the club.”

SCBA members are available for speaking engagements and presentations for school and youth groups. For more information, call 920-457-5492 or visit the Web site www.sheboyganbees.org