>>> NO MATTER THE SEASON OR PLACE, THESE ARE NEEDED TO CARRY
POLLEN, BEES, AND HELP THE FOOD WE EAT GROW.
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, HONEYBEES HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING
TO STAY ALIVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT WITH THE HELP OF
LOCAL GROUPS LIKE ONE RIGHT HERE IN WESTERN NEW ENGLAND, THE BEES
ARE BUZZING BACK.
"CONNECTING POINT" GOES TO ONE BEEKEEPERS' HOME IN LONG MEADOW.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL LOOK AT BOTH HIVES.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET AT LEAST 30 POUNDS OF SPRING HONEY FROM EACH
ONE.
>> Reporter: MARK'S BACKYARD IN LONG MEADOW IS FILLED WITH A
"HUM" IN THE AIR.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, A BUZZ.
>> THIS HIVE WILL GET HARVESTED PROBABLY AROUND JULY 4TH.
>> HE'S A BACKYARD BEEKEEPER.
>> WE HAD THE SAME THING ON BOTH SIDES.
>> A TREND BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN RECENT YEARS HAS A
RESPONSE TO THE THREAT HONEYBEES ARE FACING.
>> THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES WITH COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER
AND LOSS OF BEES FOR POLLINATION THAT THE UNITED STATES RELIES ON
FOR FOOD PRODUCTION.
THERE WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
BEEHIVES NOT SURVIVING OVER THE WINTER.
IT'S GETTING BETTER.
UNFORTUNATELY, A STUDY JUST CAME OUT THIS PAST WEEK WHERE THE
AMOUNT OF COLONY LOSS IS UP ABOUT 7% OR 9% FROM THE YEAR
BEFORE.
WINTER LOSSES ARE HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.
>> THE THREE HIVES IN HIS YARD ARE HEALTHY NOW.
>> SO I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE GRADE As AND THIS IS A GRADE
C-MINUS.
>> THANKS TO THE GUIDANCE RECEIVED AS PART OF THE HAMPTON
COUNTY BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
>> JUST BEING A BEEKEEPER IS NOT ENOUGH.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE SCIENCE BEHIND KEEPING BEES AND SKILLS
NECESSARY TO KEEP YOUR HIVES IN -- KEEP YOUR HIVES HEALTHY.
>> NATHAN SPARRY HAS 50 HIVES IN RUSSELL, KEEPING THE FAMILY
LEGACY ALIVE.
>> BEEN KEEPING BEES SINCE ABOUT 2004, AND I GOT INTO BEE KEEPING
AS A FAMILY TRADITION, SOMETHING I WANTED TO KEEP IN THE FAMILY.
THE BEES WOULD SELECT THE APPROPRIATE AGED LARVA AND THEN
START TO FEED THE ROYAL JELLY MARK MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THEN
EVENTUALLY THEY'LL CAP THESE QUEEN CELLS OVER.
ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS WE HAVE IS A MITE ON BEES, AND THEY CAN
BE WEAKENING TO A HIVE.
THEY TRANSMIT VIRUSES AND DISEASES TO BEES AND SO FORTH,
AND SO TO PUT THEM INTO A DIFFERENT CONTEXT, THEY ARE LIKE
TICKS ARE ON A HUMAN.
JUST TO THE POINT OF THE SCALE OF THEM, WOULD BE LIKE HUMANS
HAVING TICS THE SIZE OF VOLLEYBALLS.
>> THE BEES ARE BUZZING.
JUNE AND JULY ARE THE BUSIEST PART OF THE BEE SEASON.
INSIDE THIS HIVE ALONE, THOUSANDS OF BEES ARE PRODUCING
HONEY FOR MARK.
EACH OF THESE LITTLE PLANKS ARE CALLED FRAMES, AND INSIDE EACH
FRAME, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ABOUT 3 POUNDS OF HONEY THAT'S BEING
PRODUCED.
NO TOTAL, THERE'S 70 POUNDS OF HONEY INSIDE THIS HIVE.
>> SO THEY TEND TO ACTUALLY GO 2 TO 3 MILES AWAY FROM THEIR HOME
HIVE TO FORGE.
NOW, WE HAVE AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND FIELDS IN EAST
■LONGMEADOW.
>> AS BEES TRAVEL FURTHER AWAY FROM THE APIERRE, THERE'S TWO
BENEFITS, ONE, HELPING CROPS AND FARMS IN THE SURROUNDING TOWNS
BY POLLINATION, AND BY GIVING THE BEES POTENTIAL NEW LANDING
SPOTS, SHOULD THEY DECIDE TO MOVE.
>> BEES NATURALLY PROPAGATE BY SWARMING.
THE TWO HIVES BEHIND ME ACTUALLY SWARMED THIS YEAR, SO WHEN THE
BEEHIVE GETS REALLY STRONG, THE QUEEN DECIDES TO TAKE HALF OF
HER COLONY AND LEAVE AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> IT'S THE BIGGEST WAY BACKYARD BEEKEEPERS GIVE BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY.
GROWING THE BEE POPULATION, ONE SEASON AT A TIME.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT THIS HONEY LOOKS LIKE FROM
THE WAX, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW LIGHT THE HONEY IS FOR THE
SPRING.