BUSINESS BUZZ
HoneyDo! by Brian J. Lowney
Local beekeeper Mark Martin can’t recall a time in his life when he wasn’t fascinated by nature and bees that are members of the Apidae family, flying insects that collect nectar and pollen.
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ocal beekeeper Mark Martin can’t recall a time in his life when he wasn’t fascinated by nature and bees that are members of the Apidae family, flying insects that collect nectar and pollen. The well-read apiologist explains that there are many different types of bees, possibly 20,000 species, and there are many differences between them. Some make honey and some don't. Some can sting, while others can’t. Martin, who works by day as a carpenter, fondly recalls the many happy days of his bucolic youth. “My fishing pole and I would take off for the day and we’d out for the day,” he recalls. “I’d hunt and fish and forage for mushrooms and plants, just like I do today.” According to Martin, bees and beekeeping “are a natural extension” of his longtime interest in nature. “You know where the nectar comes from and what goes into it,” the beekeeper emphasizes.
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Three years ago, Martin and his partner, Lori Torres of Somerset, enrolled in a beekeeping class offered by the Bristol County Beekeepers Association at Bristol Community College in Fall River. The avid outdoorsman had met a beekeeper at a local tractor supply store where he learned about the course and wanted to learn more. Torres shares that the nominal course fee covered 10 weeks of instruction, a book, materials, and membership to the organization for one year. Once the course began, the couple’s exuberance couldn’t be contained and their business, Lorimar Apiaries, was soon born. “We are just coming out of winter – we’ve lost about 60 percent of our bees,” Martin adds, noting that the couple has 11 hives in Somerset, Swansea, Seekonk, and Assonet. “The remaining bees are going to forage skunk cabbage and collect pollen,” he continues. “Bees travel up to two miles and sometimes farther and have a way of communicating with other bees to tell
May 2022 | The South Coast Insider
The well-read apiologist explains that there are many different types of bees, possibly 20,000 species, and there are many differences between them. each other where the source of food can be found.” Martin says that bees bring the nectar back to the hive, fill the cell and fan it with their wings to thicken it, and then cap the honey with wax that they have made and processed. Martin notes that it takes 12 bees a lifetime – about 41 days – to produce one teaspoon of honey. “Honey is still good if it’s capped,” Torres says. “It’s antifungal, anti-bacterial, and full of vital nutrients.” The couple visit the hives once per
