| Submitted by Sharon Christ
Members of the West Central Beekeepers Association recently received a shipment of honeybees. Instead of coming at the expected 7:00 a.m. they came in the middle of the night. Members were required to pick up their packaged bees at 2:00 a.m. in Spencer and the West Fork Community Building.
Bees don't sleep, they are packaged in the South, loaded on trucks and travel at night. Weather plays a big role in their delivery. They must be kept warm, but not too warm, cool, but not too cool and must be placed into their permanent dwelling within hours of arrival.
Coordination of this time sensitive operation is a must. The supplier picks up the load in North Carolina, drops off in Ripley to a personal vehicle, then delivered to Spencer and Arnoldsburg.
This is the third year that WCBA has received bees in this manner.
One package at a time, the local honeybee population is improving.
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