Whether it be urban or rural, an Apiary is the term used to describe a place where honey bees are kept. Honey bees are essential in agriculture and hobby farming in the role of fruit and vegetable pollination. Honey bees are responsible for the pollination of an estimated $60 million in crop yields annually in Ohio alone. Morrow County is home to an impressive 98 registered apiaries holding a total of 578 colonies.
With the popularity of beekeeping on a steady rise with the ease of online ordering and instant access to information creating a pipeline of interest, maintaining a hive of honey bees is not always easy. Communicable diseases (Nosema and Foulbrood) and pests (varroa mite, small hive beetle, wax moth, etc.) and unsound advise can wreak havoc on a hive. Amateur bee keepers may not be equipped to identify the potential issues in their hive(s).
Morrow County is seeking to improve and maintain the health of our local hives by appointing a County Apiary Instructor. An Apiary Inspector plays an important role in the
bee keeping industry for State-registered hives and the keeper. Apiary Inspectors monitor locations for disease and pests affecting hives while collecting data on general industry health.
The Morrow County Apiary Inspector should have a familiarity with keeping bees and exceptional communication skills. An in-person training will be arranged with the Department of Agriculture, State Apiarist. The position will be paid by the county based upon the number of hives inspected and is self-scheduled.
If you or someone you know has a passion for honey bees and maintaining the health of our local colonies please reach out to Morrow Soil and Water at (419) 946-7923 or Morrow County, Director of Operations, Jamie Brucker at (419) 718-0739.
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