Home Lifestyle Honey History:  Honey-Making Tradition Continues in Richmond County

Honey History:  Honey-Making Tradition Continues in Richmond County

Honey-Making & Beekeeping
Submitted by: Betty Gallo McIntyre

ROCKINGHAM – The phrase “busy as a bee” rings true for these little fellows as they diligently work day and night. There are around 4000 different types of native bee species in North America that are now considered to be on the endangered species list; sadly, honeybees are included on this list.

These bees are necessary to plants as they fly from flower to flower collecting pollen which is then transferred to other flowers during the process. As the pollen is transferred, the flowers are pollinated; this is needed in order for plants to reproduce, which is vital to the human race.

Local beekeeper David Snead of Rockingham, NC, has nine hives which he cares for. His interest in bees began many years ago. When Snead was only four years old he began helping his father, Daniel Snead, who was also a beekeeper raising bees in Rockingham 68 years ago. The tradition continues through David Snead as he carries the torch of beekeeping. Snead smiled as he commented “I remember when I was very young getting stung and my dad would tell me it was because of all that hair tonic I put in my hair. There were many days I watched my dad sit beside the hives so they could get familiarized with him.”

This has been a very productive year for Snead as he had 35 gallons of honey to bottle. It is a year-round, time-consuming process. In the spring, the bees extract the pollen from the plants that are in bloom. They then take the pollen to the hive boxes and begin their magic. In approximately three to four months the honey is ready to process. The racks and supers are then taken out of the boxes and the honey is extracted from each rack. It is then filtered and bottled. Snead stated “With the help I had this year, we spent a total of ten hours extracting the honey and six hours pouring and bottling. This is the second year I have made blueberry honey, which turned out very good.” The bees extracted pollen from the blooms of blueberries which gave the honey a blueberry flavor. The bees are then cared for during the winter months making sure they have enough nourishment for the upcoming spring.

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Snead wants everyone to be aware of the importance of keeping our bees out of danger; after all they are vital to the human race. He also wants people to be educated in understanding the purpose of a bee and began educating others in 1964 while attending Rohanen High School. He had to do a science fair project, so he created a solid glass beehive in order for all the students and teachers to be able to watch the honey-making process take place. Even to this day, he is still encouraging people to take care of honey bees.

Honey is very beneficial to the human body, although it can be fatal to an infant under a year old. A baby’s stomach isn’t developed enough to handle the enzymes and it could cause severe sickness and even death, so it is advised never give a baby under a year old honey. He also mentioned that one drop of water in a bottle of honey would spoil the entire bottle, so when using it be sure to use a fully dry utensil.

There are things you can do to help protect and populate the bee species again. Planting pollinator-friendly plants that are pesticide free is one way. Use natural ways to keep pests away from plants instead of using pesticides which have been known to be a major cause of the bee endangerment. If you happen to come across a swarm of bees, call a local beekeeper or your local agricultural department. They will make sure the bees are transported to a safe place where they will be able to continue to pollinate and produce.

The next time you see a bee, respect the territory and look at it in a different light; after all, we need them, we benefit from them, and they are our friends.

 

 

 



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