Western Honey Bee
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WOLSEY — Find any clover patch this time of year, and you’re likely to discover it a buzz with a variety of insects busy gathering the plentiful harvest of pollen. And hopefully, among those insects you’ll see the Western Honey Bee.
First brought to North America by the Europeans in 1622, this tenacious, miniature workhorse now occupies every continent in the world except Antarctica, and is the single most important pollinator in agriculture globally.
According to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture there are 185 beekeepers in the state, 100 of which produce at the larger commercial level. In 2008, the state ranked second in the nation by producing 21,375,000 pounds of highly desirable alfalfa-sweet clover honey, with an estimated value of $28,643,000.
But just as impressive, is the impact these pollinating marvels have on agriculture itself. Honey bees are responsible for almost 80% of all crop pollination and without them, farmers and consumers alike could potentially face a great loss.
Wolsey Honey, a locally owned honey production operation,was purchased by Scott Brown in 2014 from Bill Rhodes, and has become a valuable asset in this vast web of commercial beekeepers nationwide. He and his son, Trent Brown and their crew, work with over 3600 hives spending the summer months focused on areas between Tulare and Tripp, and from West Gann Valley to southwest of Mitchell.
Trent Brown, who has been working with bees for the last fourteen years, has acquired a great deal of knowledge and respect for these industrious insects. “Bees are very intelligent, they have their own little civilization going on,” Brown said, “and collectively as a group, operate much like the human brain does. ”Domesticated bees practice what is referred to as flower fidelity. They are able to concentrate on one specific species or crop at a time, paying little to no attention to other distractions. When they have worked that particular crop, they will move on to the next. “Bumble bees on the other hand, have a very short attention span and non-indiscriminately bounce from one plant to the next - big bodies, little brains.” remarked Brown.
As winter approaches, the bees are packed up and hauled to Beeville, Texas. From there they travel to California to work in the almond groves during the bloom period. The bees are also moved from Texas across to Yumatilla, near Indian River, Florida, where they make Brazilian Pepper-tree honey. The Brazilian Pepper-tree is considered a nuisance plant by many, but a new study suggests that this invasive species has remarkable medicinal qualities and may possibly be the key component in treating MRSA and several other pathogens.
Diane carter/Plainsman
Trent Brown of Wolsey Honey, discusses the business behind raising bees and his concern for their future.