Volunteer Services

GARDEN SPOT VILLAGE BEEKEEPERS

A team of ten resident beekeepers cares for the three beehives located next to the aeroponic greenhouse. Sandy Allen, Garden Spot Village resident since August 2015, leads the group. She enjoys the opportunity to work with fellow residents in caring for the bees. Although participation in the club isn’t a volunteer opportunity per se, serving as a leader in the group is!

Recently, the group received a generous donation from one of their members. They used the donation to purchase a small shed for their tools. They look forward to having water and electric in the shed, which will allow them to do the extracting on-site rather than in someone’s garage.

Unfortunately, the bees from summer 2021 did not make it through the winter. As a result, the beekeepers purchased three nucleus colonies (nucs) which include a queen, some worker bees, a brood and honey (for the bees’ food). They installed the nucs in mid-May and Sandy checked them in early June.

Sandy says, “The bees are doing splendidly. They have propagated and are bringing in pollen to make honey. The queen is laying her eggs. We’ll just keep an eye on them this season to make sure they thrive. It’s unlikely that the bees will produce enough honey to harvest this summer. They are going to need all of their honey as food and fuel through the winter. Hopefully in fall 2023, we will have honey again.”

When the bees produce a surplus of honey, the beekeepers receive a portion of the harvest. When the harvest allows, honey is also offered for sale in Linden, so that the rest of the community can enjoy it! As always, a portion of sales at Linden benefits the Benevolent Fund.

Sandy encourages more residents to join the group saying, “You don’t need to be experienced to join us. You simply need to be interested in learning more about beekeeping. I didn’t know anything about bees when I moved to Garden Spot Village and now I’m in the middle of it all!”

Sandy shares that time commitment to the group is minimal; the group meets quarterly and assesses $25 dues each year. Members of the club are invited to help tend the bees during the spring and summer, as well as to harvest and extract the honey. To learn more, contact Sandy Allen at 717.799.0624.