April 14, 2009

Danny Byrd of "Byrds and the Bees" of Lincolnton, presented a program on honey bees, the production of honey, and the reasons for being careful about spraying herbicides to the Washington Kiwanis Club on Tuesday. Byrd mentioned that bee keeping is a high-demand business and very labor intensive. He has been in the honey production business for about eight years and has a real passion and knowledge of honey bees. Byrd said that a queen may lay up to 1,500 eggs and live for two or three years, the honey bees live about six weeks. If a hive loses its queen the hive can "make" its own queen, he said. Byrd's son James assisted with the program. Byrd told the group that honey bees can travel up to two miles from their hive in search of flowers for nectar and pollen and successfully find their way back to their hive. Kerry McAvoy (right) was program host for the day.