Saving South Florida Bees One Hive At A Time
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — It's an alarming trend.
The honeybee population is dwindling. And that's going to affect crops in Florida and all across the country.
Nationally, about one-third of bee colonies died this past winter. That's nearly one million bees. It's blamed on pesticides, parasites and disease.
With such attrition there's an effort underway to save the remaining hives, rather than kill the bees as often happens when exterminators are called.
Dr. Leo Gosser, head of the Broward County beekeepers association goes around each week and safely removes hives from city property and homes, and transfers them to his yard before turning the established hive over to backyard beekeepers.
CBS 4 caught up with Dr. Gosser as he did a live bee removal at a traffic light in downtown Ft. Lauderdale.
"The posts are hollow so they are a natural cavity to make their colonies," says Dr. Gosser.
Assisting Gosser was John Herring, a beekeeper from Tropical Apiaries.
"I would say there are ten to 20 thousand bees in there," said Herring.
Gosser says bees are vital to our food supply.
"It's estimated one-third of every bite of food, we take is dues to bees."
A common beehive can produce up to 50 pounds of honey a year.
While bee love isn't universal, as anyone whose ever been stung can attest, Dr. Gosser is hoping to make us all believers, saving the bees, one hive at a time.
If you have a hive that you would like removed you can contact Dr. Gosser at the Broward Beekeepers Association at (954) 344-1493.
