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Iowa Honey Producers Association |
The Buzz Newsletter October 2005 |
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Featured Beekeeper of the Month This month our featured beekeeper is George Hemphill. George and his wife Dorothy live in Burlington, IA. This is the story of how George became a beekeeper. In 1992, late summer or early fall my wife Dorothy and I, were watching Eye to Eye With Connie Chung on TV. Her people were interviewing a lady who has multiple sclerosis. The lady was taking bee venom therapy (BVT). Bee stings for her MS and she was much improved. As a victim of MS and as a result of watching the show Dorothy decided to try the ‘bazaar’ method of treatment. But it was too late for catching bees anymore that season so we waited until the following spring to start the process. Within a matter of days there was such a vast change in her abilities and her temperament, that I elected to get a hive of bees and from that point on I was hooked. I decided if I was going to gear up to take care of a hive of bees then I might as well have two or three, well it has grown into at last count twenty two, five of which are now turned over to my nine year old grandson who wants to be a beekeeper like grandpa.
Needless to say I am a novice and elected to join the Southeast Iowa Beeekeepers Club, where I have learned a thing or two but don’t know half enough yet. I believe a person could live to be a hundred and be a beekeeper all his life and never learn it all. So much to know. This spring I switched from Apistan Strips and started using the formic acid pads and my colonies grew stronger and I am going to harvest more honey this year than ever before in my short tenure at beekeeping. I am a retired maintenance mechanic and a former carpenter so I build most of my own hive bodies, honey super boxes, covers, bottom boards, and lids. This is a hobby or should I say pastime that I would recommend to anyone. It is so fulfilling and the bees are such diligent little creatures, I never tire of just sitting near a hive and watch them come and go. To think that 15 years ago, if someone had told me that I was going to be a beekeeper, I would have told them they were out of their mind ‘cause there is no way I’d ever mess around with a swarm of bees.’ Now I’ll climb a tree with my chainsaw on a rope and cut the limb with a cluster and lower the saw and climb back down with the bees on the branch. What a challenge and so rewarding. Recently I hived a swarm that had built their comb on the soffit overhang on a two story brick home. I had to erect my scaffold to twenty feet to reach them. Hauled the hive up with me and cut the comb down and placed it in a hive box, sealed it and brought it home and they are doing well.
On the 26th of August thru’ Labor Day we will be going on our annual flea market sale site with our honey stand. An eleven day undertaking. We also sell honey thru’ our son’s stall at the Burlington ‘Farmers Market’ each Thursday afternoon during the season, when they are in session, as well as from our home the year around. I might also add that in another month I’ll be 79 but it’s keeping me young at heart and spirit I guess. Not only a beekeeper but caregiver to my wife of 56 years. ‘Nuff boasting for now but if you want to hear more just contact me through the Southeast Iowa Beekeepers Club. Thanks for the opportunity to address the joy of beekeeping. George Thanks for your story George. Submitted by Ron Wehr |
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