Clarke County has an amazing club that many in the community are getting involved in: the Pollinators Bee Club.
Steve Neely, a founding member, acknowledged that the club isn’t brand new, but it is just starting back up after an abrupt halt was caused by Covid, and it is bigger than before.
“We formed before Covid and had people from Lauderdale County and Clarke County coming. It was going pretty well, but then Covid hit. We haven’t met in a couple of years, but I’ve had a lot of people with an interest to get into beekeeping,” explained Steve. “Because of that, we’re starting up a club here in Quitman. Christy King is having us over at the Mississippi State Extension Service building (the multi-purpose building). Surprisingly, I’ve had a lot of female interest, too. A lot of youth have also inquired, so that’s our purpose—to try and create an interest in beekeeping again.”
The increase in interest that people have in beekeeping can have many different reasons. Some may want to raise their own honey, while others may have a more sentimental reason spark their interest, such as Steve.
“When I opened the auction company, one of the things I noticed was that people were buying old items, but it wasn’t particularly the item they were buying; it was the memories of the items they were buying,” expressed Steve. “For me with beekeeping, my uncle, Charles Beckman, was a beekeeper. When I was around 10, I watched him work with his bees. When I had an opportunity to get into beekeeping because a swarm of bees landed in my yard here in Quitman, I thought about Uncle Charles. That’s what sparked me into it.”
Whatever the reason a person may have an interest in beekeeping or joining the club, beekeeping is beneficial for everyone involved. Since there is such a strong interest in beginners, the club will be able to provide mentors and great advice.
“The bees need us, and we need them. It’s a symbiotic relationship with us. I think this club will create a good need for us in our community, country, and state. It’ll make something that’s a good, fun hobby, and every once in a while you’ll even get a little honey from it,” proclaimed Steve. “I think the good thing about having a local club is that you have a mentor, so to speak. We’ll have experienced beekeepers who’ve been doing it for years attend along with people who are just getting started.”
The club will help all the new beekeepers by hosting monthly meetings that will provide them with information and explain what they will need to do at specific times and what to expect.
“We’ll have monthly meetings, which will be the first Thursday of each month. It’ll be at 6:00 p.m. at the multi-purpose building in Quitman. If it’s a very young person joining, then there will need to be a parent or guardian accompany that member for at least the first couple of meetings,” stated Steve. “We’ll structure our meetings each month about what is actually going to take place in the beekeeping world over the next three or four weeks until the next meeting.”
The club even offers its first piece of advice for anyone who is interested in becoming a first time beekeeper.
“If you’re a new beekeeper, you want to start ordering your equipment. If you want to get into beekeeping, the first question you have to ask yourself is if you mind getting stung because it will happen,” advised Steve. “The first thing I would recommend people who want to start to buy is a bee suit to protect yourself.”
Even those who aren’t interested in beekeeping but would like to learn more about it are able to attend. There is no cost to participate in the club; the only money spent would simply be for personal equipment to be a beekeeper.
“Even if people don’t want to get into beekeeping and just want to learn more about them, they can still come to the meetings. There is no charge to attend or be part of the club. The only thing people would have to pay is whatever it takes to purchase their own equipment,” declared Steve. “The club isn’t exclusive to Clarke County, so if there isn’t a club near where someone lives already, then they are more than welcome to be a part of this club.”
The next meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m. on February 3 at the multi-purpose building, 101 Westwood Ave., in Quitman.
Come out and see what the club is all about and learn the ins and outs of beekeeping.
