Honey and Pollinator Habitat Promotion

 

Georgia’s beekeeping industry is facing many challenges.  From October 2009 to April 2010, the loss of managed honey bee colonies from all causes totaled 34% nationwide.  Colony Collapse Disorder, Varroa mites, disease, and improper pesticide use contribute to declines in honey production and a decrease in beekeepers’ incomes.  According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the 2009 yield per honey bee colony averaged 58.5 pounds, the lowest yield since 1989. 

Thanks to the Honey and Pollinator Habitat Promotion rogram, funded by a Specialty Crop grant from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, GACDS is helping to enhance the competitiveness of Georgia’s beekeepers by increasing consumers' awareness of the benefits of consuming locally produced honey and educating students about the best management practices to improve pollinator habitat.  The program is teaching about the health benefits of honey and the value to the agricultural economy of purchasing locally produced honey.  Pollinator habitat demonstration gardens have been installed at schools and other educational facilities.  The promotional and educational events serve three purposes:  increase sales of honey produced in Georgia, emphasize the necessity of healthy pollinator habitat to food and fiber production, and recruit new beekeepers to contribute to the sustainability of the beekeeping industry.

Support your local beekeepers and enjoy a delicious, nutritious treat by purchasing locally produced honey.  GACDS has compiled a statewide directory of beekeepers.  Download our brochure to find a beekeeper near you! 

Celebrate National Pollinators Week (June 20th-26th)

in your backyard....

Courtesy of prwatch.orgHomeowners can improve pollinator habitat by planting a variety of groundcovers, flowers, shrubs, and trees that provide nectar and pollen.  In recognition of National Pollinators Week, GACDS has installed a pollinator garden at the site of the future Conservation Education Center in Oconee County.  We planted the following perennials:

  • Nepeta (catmint)
  • Gaillardia 'Mesa' (blanketflower)
  • Buddleia 'Silver Anniversary' (butterfly bush)
  • Leucanthemum superbum 'Becky' (Shasta daisy)
  • Salvia greggii 'Navajo Rose'
  • Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue'
  • Coreopsis verticillata 'Route 66' (tickseed)
  • Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
  • Agastache rupestris 'Sunset' (hyssop)

These plants, which are mostly natives, will offer a long season of bloom for foraging pollinators.  Clover will be sown when the weather cools this fall to provide another food source during the spring.

The University of Georgia's Honey Bee Lab is a great source of information on beekeeping, research, and pollinator habitat.  If you would like to find out more about improving habitat, their "Plants for Year-round Bee Forage" will help you get started.

or on the farm...

Georgia’s agricultural productivity is directly related to the health of honey bees, since more than ninety food, fiber, and seed crops rely on honey bees for pollination.  Many of Georgia’s specialty crops are heavily dependent upon honey bees for pollination.  These crops include:

  • apples
  • blueberries
  • cantaloupes
  • peaches
  • pumpkins
  • strawberries
  • watermelons

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers to improve pollinator habitat.  The Environmental Quality Incentives program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and other programs can help establish, maintain, or improve pollinator habitat.  To find out more about these programs, visit the Georgia NRCS website to contact your local service center.