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MANSFIELD — No bees were present at the Richland County Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday morning.
But three members of the bee community were in attendance to advocate for appointing a county deputy apiarist.
David Duncan, Aaron Billheimer and Hager Hicks joined commissioners to discuss the importance of the position.
Duncan spoke on behalf of the Richland Area Beekeepers Association, which meets monthly at the Richland County Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Ave. in Mansfield.
The three were seeking an allocation from commissioners to fund a county deputy apiarist.
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the position is “appointed and paid by a county,” but submits its inspection reports to the state agriculture department.
“County-appointed inspectors are a crucial component of the current program by providing hands-on interaction with beekeepers through the inspection process,” the department website says. “County apiary inspectors increase the likelihood that the bees required for pollination are disease and pest free.”
Duncan said Richland County has been without an appointed inspector for a few years and the last to serve in the position was the late Sonny Barker.
Commissioners appropriated $4,000 this year to be used for a county deputy apiarist.
“We’re here to ask you if you can help us out here,” Duncan told commissioners after saying Billheimer was the suggested candidate for the position.
After Thursday’s discussion, commissioners approved the appointment of Billheimer to serve as the county’s deputy apiarist. Consent and concurrence from the state’s director of agriculture will still need to follow before he can officially serve in the position.
Commissioners supportive of Billheimer
Billheimer, a Shelby beekeeper, began beekeeping nearly six years ago. He’s also a RABA member.
Duncan said it’s challenging to find a beekeeper with the “youth and the energy and the ambition” to fill the position.
“Aaron (Billheimer) has stepped up to the plate… and he’s interested in learning,” he said, including the state will handle Billheimer’s training.
All three commissioners expressed approval of getting the position filled and noted the importance of bees for agriculture and food security.
“You (Duncan) asked if you are at the beginning of the agriculture chain or at the end,” Commissioner Darrel Banks said. “Obviously, you’re from the beginning.
“I agree with (Commissioner) Tony (Vero). We need to support you,” he said.
Bees play important role
County apiary inspectors play an important role for the health of local bees. They inspect for diseases, makes sure hives are healthy and sends in bees to check for diseases if necessary.
Duncan said bees are currently under attack from mites and pesticides. He also said many bees were lost this past winter.
“Even if you’re not a bee lover, they still have an importance,” he told Richland Source earlier this week. “About 80 percent of the fruits and vegetables that we eat are dependent on pollinators. There are other pollinators, but bees do the lions share.”
A county bee inspector himself in the 1990s, Duncan said the job also provides an opportunity to see parts of the county folks may not otherwise explore.
“You get to experience things and see things, being in places that you’ve never been in,” he said. “You’re there to be an educator for the bee keeper.
“Seeing the county at its finest, being on roads that you never knew existed, that’s probably the best part.”
