If  beekeeping is in your future, the person to contact is Buddy Williams. Buddy has 75 hives, teaches beekeeping and certifies beekeepers for Clemson. I drove out to his honey farm on a rainy Saturday afternoon to observe the field test for some new beekeepers ready for certification. As I park my car, I look out over a large field of buckwheat. Buddy says the bees love buckwheat flowers. “Buckwheat honey will be darker than some other honey,” he explains. His hives are in different locations so he can produce different types of honey.

People get into beekeeping for different reasons. One candidate’s grandfather had bees and he wanted to continue the tradition. Another woman is helping her husband and another woman wanted to keep bees since they are an important part of the ecosystem.

During the afternoon, I learn that bees are as interesting as the people that keep them and there are similarities. Some bees work hard, some bees are lazy. Some bees keep their hives spotless and others aren’t so clean. They even rob from each other. They know that smoke means fire. And did you know that bees dance? They shake their wings and waggle telling other bees to go get food.

If the hive isn’t producing, it’s time to get a new queen. Queens are replaced every two years. They arrive in the mail in a small wooden box. The old queen is squashed against the box so her scent is on the new queen. When a queen arrives a specific colored dot is placed on her head. The color denotes the year so you can always tell how old the queen is. Beekeepers all over the world use the same color for the same year. No matter where the queen comes from, you can always tell her age.

Things are heating up, literally. The students have donned their outfits and look ready to walk on the moon, all covered in white. Everything needs to be secured so bees can’t find their way inside the clothing. It’s time to smoke the hive. I head to the garage for safety as the bees start swarming around the area. Smoke is used to help calm the bees so the keeper can tend to the hive. Buddy tells me, “I’m not sure it actually calms them.  They identify smoke with fire. They get busy working to preserve the hive, so it appears they are calm.” Each new beekeeper demonstrates that they can identify the different areas of the hive, the brood, the drones, the workers, and the queen. I’m overwhelmed.

With the bees buzzing around, I decide it’s time to head for home. One thing I know, minding your beeswax is an interesting hobby.  And if you’re interested in learning more, call Buddy at 864-457-2013.

– Linda List