Local Bee Keepers Pick Up This Season's Colonies
Saturday, May 10, 2014 - 5:32pm
By:
Natalie Froistad
FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT
ESKO - Bee keepers from all over the midwest picked up their colonies in Esko Saturday.
The most common use for bees is for pollenating reasons.
Other folks use them for honey or enjoy them as a hobby.
Recently, colony collapse disorder has hurt bee keepers.
Because of mites, pesticides and a virus, bees have been dying in large quantities.
In fact, over the winter 30 percent of the bees in the nation were lost.
"What happens is based upon economics. The price of the bees also rise when we have to purchase them. In turn, the price of the product that we have to sell also goes up too," said John Skalko, a bee keeper.
More than 150 colonies were picked up today by bee keepers from all over Minnesota and Wisconsin.