How sweet it is

Novices swarm to one-day course at Agricenter, where longtime beekeepers give the buzz on pollinators

A swarm of bees was clustered on a shrub at the Tipton County Courthouse lawn, and t he county executive asked Bob Whitworth to do something about them.

It was the early 1990s and Whitworth, t hen a director with t he agricultural extension office, had experience keeping bees from his high school days in Newbern, Tennessee. He borrowed a hive from a friend, Earl Quinley, to catch t he swarm. He and Qui n ley beca me busi ness partners and created Quinley and Whitworth Honey.

“We kept bees together for the rest of his life, and I’m still doing it,” Whitworth said.

Whitworth, 71, is president of the Memphis Area Beekeepers Association, which meets monthly at Agricenter International.

More than 300 people gath- ered for the association’s oneday course on beginner beekeeping.

Robert Hodum, 74, came to a beekeepers meeting in 1983 and was mentored by Wanda Lee of Memphis. He created Robert Hodum Honey, which sells from $4.59 to $5.19 per 12 ounces and more for larger sizes.

“It’s pleasant,” he said of keeping bees. “If you take care of them, they’ll take care of you.”

Stuart Hooser, 61, started keeping bees si x or seven years ago. He said equipment, i ncluding a protective bee suit, is necessary. He recommended buying new equipment, because used equipment can transfer disease to a hive. “There are people I know that do it barehanded or without a suit,” he said. “When you’re new, I would definitely have a suit.”

If a swarm of bees is hanging from a branch, Hooser expla i ned, t he bees can be cut down and put into a box.

They are called “freebies” (or free bees), he quipped.

Keeping honey bees is fun, tasty and rewarding, he said. It requires patience and work. A mentor is recommended. And, “you’re occasionally going to get stung,” he said.

For more information, vi sit memphisa reabee - keepers.com or call Whitworth at 901-569-3560.

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month at Agricenter I nternationa l , 7777 Walnut Grove, i n Concourse C.

PHOTOS BY KYLE KURLICK/SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Tom Fabrizio savors the distinc tive scent of honey on a hive box panel during the one- day course Saturday at Agricenter International. The Memphis Area Beekeepers Association host s the annual event to provide information for a spiring hobbyist s....

Louis Padgett (center) explains how to build hive boxes. Visitors also learned the basics of how to capture a swarm in the wild and that such finds are called “freebies” (free bees — get it?)