Tonight, the Jasper Municipal Library is hosting an exciting event called the Beeloved Bee Talk, perfect for all the bee enthusiasts out there.
The event includes a presentation from Lucas Habib and Layla Neufeld, who will be sharing their knowledge with everyone, including a general introduction to bees, like a Bees 101 course.
“It’ll be more of just a general interest talk – a year in the life of a bee colony – and more of an educational talk in that sense of how we go through the year and the different activities you and the bees are conducting at different times of the year,” Habib told Jasper Fitzhugh.
Habib and Neufeld have been taking care of 25 beehives on their family farm near Edson for the past 15 years. They have gained a lot of experience in beekeeping and are considered experts in their field.
“We’re not experts. We’re amateurs. I mean, I guess most beekeepers are,” said Habib. I guess you could say Habib and Neufeld are ‘humble bees!’
In springtime, the bees focus on building up their population for maximum efficiency when flowers bloom and honey production begins.
“The spring is all about population management and trying to keep the hive running along smoothly,” explained Habib.
Bees are capable of managing themselves, but there are certain protocols beekeepers follow to ensure maximum efficiency.
During summer, beekeepers put in long and hard hours dealing with the honey. The job requires a mix of knowledge, skill, the ability to handle variables quickly, and a little bit of luck.
Each beehive can turn out differently, even if they are treated the same way. Beekeepers do their best and trust the bees to take care of themselves, while providing some assistance when needed.
The Beeloved Bee Talk will be an informal overview, with Habib admitting that he hasn’t prepared a formal presentation. The event will also include visual materials and time for questions and answers.
Bees are nature’s superheroes, ensuring that many of the plants we rely on for food can reproduce. Without bees, our food supply, ecosystems, and biological diversity would be negatively impacted.
But did you know Alberta had the third highest number of beekeepers in Canada in 2021, just behind British Columbia and Ontario? In the same year, we also had the most bee colonies in the country at 317,500!
