Lance Hawvermale, known to most through his position at Ranger College as Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts - and as a successful book author surprised some at Ranger Lions Club recently with his talk about the ins and outs, joys and hazards of being a beekeeper. Invited to give the program by Lion Dean Mason, Hawvermale proved to be an enthusiastic beekeeper and provided fascinating insights into the lives of bees and production of honey. He reminded that around 1/3 of our food is available because of pollination. “Essentially, when the bees go away, we could go away,” he said. A combination of circumstances are harming the bee population, he added, including a lack of rain, lack of forage, use of pesticides and change of climate.
When the honey is harvested, Hawvermale takes a knife and cuts it out of the frame. His harvested honey is not filtered nor heated and is locally sourced. He suggested being careful when buying honey from a large store, as most companies buy bulk honey (from various sources) and heat it. (Essentially the heating kills most of the health benefits.) “Be aware of which kind of honey you are buying and eating,” he said.
The usual time for harvest is May to September, Hawvermale informed. This brought to mind the one time he became complacent and did not properly suit up. “I soon regretted my choice,” he assured. With his frame full of honey, he noticed that the bees did not like the situation. Aggravated bees swarmed around him - were on his head and actually in his mouth. After that experience, he said he always makes sure to gear up properly for the honey harvest. Hawvermale also included facts about the queen bee. Without her, the bee population could frankly not survive. Ranger Lions learned that the queen bee looks different and lives up to 3 years. She lays around 2,000 eggs a day. Female bees prepare the honey, which has a low water content and therefore doesn’t spoil. One can buy a new queen bee for the hive for around $35. But bees can essentially produce their own queen, who is fed royal jelly.
