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Local beekeepers scramble to make do after long, harsh winter

Posted at 5:39 PM, May 31, 2023
and last updated 2023-06-01 10:28:27-04

OGDEN, Utah — This year’s winter did wonders for parts of the state in desperate need of water, but many beehives and their keepers are scrambling to make do with the now short season.

“If we didn’t have bees, we wouldn’t have food,” said Annessa Bachman at Ogden’s Deseret Hive Supply.

This winter was long and harsh, and many bees didn’t make it out of the hive. Some hives didn’t survive or reproduce on schedule.

“Swarming is usually winding down by this time and it’s just starting,” she said.

Now, the number of bees are limited and honey prices are expected to go up.

“Generally in February or March they get to come out for a little while and forage for a little bit of pollen and stuff and that was just not available to them,” said Bachman.

She said hives already entered the winter in a weakened state. Last summer’s record-breaking temperatures and ongoing drought caused flowers to not create enough nutrition.

“If they don’t have the nourishment, they don’t have the ability to pollinate. That will be detrimental to those bees,” said Bailee Woolstenhulme with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

That’s why the state created its Utah Pollinator Habitat Program. It’s an initiative you can apply for until June 19 as long as you have 900 sq. feet of land.

“As we’re growing our food, our food sources have to be pollinated in order to grow. A lot of the plants, fruits, and vegetables rely on those pollinators,” said Woolstenhulme.

In the program, you’ll receive a packet of seed mix with ten different types of plants specific to the region you live in.

Bachman said you can also help bees by providing a water source. She said bees consume about three gallons of water a day. She also advises that you pay attention to how you use pesticides and herbicides to avoid poisoning hives.

“Look out for them. They’re good for us,” she said.