All are members of the Olympia Beekeepers Association, an organization that has tripled in size to 90 members in the past three years, past president Mark Savage said.
Savage, who operates Mudgee Tree Farm in East Olympia, distributed 185 bee packages to members out of his blue barn Saturday morning. Each package contained about 3 pounds of live bees – including a queen bee. Packages are used as a kind of starter kit to launch a beehive, Savage said.
In addition to distributing packages, Savage gave a noon presentation to about 15 people on how to insert a bee package into a hive.
Beginning beekeepers Lisa Miller and Ann-Marie Wehrer of Olympia picked up their first two bee packages for two hives in the backyard of their Bigelow neighborhood house.
Although Lisa and Ann-Marie have gleaned information about beekeeping from the group, they also have watched YouTube videos to learn more about the process.
“The learning curve has been steep but fun,” Miller said after loading 6 pounds of buzzing bees into the back of her car. They expect to produce their first honey this summer, a brand they might call Bigelow Honey.
Farmer Mark Emrich picked up three bee packages for Orgle Acres Alpacas, a 13-acre farm in Rochester where Emrich uses the bees to pollinate his vegetables and fruit trees, he said. Strategically placed bee hives around his farm have helped to ensure a bountiful crop, he said.
“It brings your yields up tremendously,” Emrich said. He added that the farm has experienced a 30 percent increase in overall yield.
Mother Anastasia of the Holy Theophany Monastery also stopped by to get three bee packages. The Olympia monastery is set to expand from one beehive to four, she said. The first hive is “going great guns” and has produced a honey that is “absolutely gorgeous,” Mother Anastasia said.
“It tastes like floral perfume,” she said.
Based on the success of the first hive, the monastery envisions selling honey and beeswax and making candles and mead, Mother Anastasia said. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey, water and yeast.
Rolf Boone is a reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5403 or rboone@theolympian.com.
