SHELBY — Bees from the City of Shelby may someday help pollinate almonds in California.
Aaron Billheimer, a Shelby beekeeper, said sending some of his bees out west is a goal he hopes to accomplish within the next two to three years.
“That’s a goal I’m trying to shoot for, unless something major happens and we lose our (bee) population,” he said.
“It’s (population) been looking pretty good so far. Every year there’s an increase.”
Billheimer, who also owns The Fan Cave Shop in downtown Shelby, was invited to speak during Shelby City Council’s Monday night meeting.
He began beekeeping five years ago and is a member of the Richland Area Beekeepers Association.
Additionally, Shelby has been recognized as a Bee City since 2021. In July 2023, Mansfield-based BlueScope Recycling partnered with the city to create a pollinator garden at Rabold Park along North Long Street.
Honey bees are vital pollinators
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, honey bees pollinate 80 percent of all flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables.
Locally, Billheimer said these bees are most active between sunrise and sunset during the month of April to September. He added the largest threats to honey bees include Varroa mites and pesticides.
“Bees are individual insects but act as one,” Billheimer explained.
“In the process, where they’re (bees) growing in their comb, is where the mites actually will breed in. That’s the number one threat to the bees.”
From April 2022-23, the Unites States reported a 48 percent honey bee colony loss nationwide, he said, emphasizing the importance of proper beekeeping management.
“If you have good honey bee management from beekeepers, then they’re (bees) able to actually recover those numbers by creating new hives and producing queens to do that,” Billheimer said.
At a recent RABA meeting, Billheimer said a speaker from The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster discussed what pesticides are doing to pollinators in the almond fields of California.
He said the state’s almond pollination demands millions of hives — including some from other countries.
From one hive to 47
Two years ago, Billheimer said only one of his hives made it successfully through the winter.
As he’s continued to learn and become a better beekeeper, he’s currently responsible for 47 honey bee hives, located near Shelby’s wastewater treatment plant. His next goal is to reach 50 hives.
“I want to thank the city for allowing me to be a part of the Bee City USA, with the part that I play, and having some good land and area to raise these bees,” Billheimer said.
“Part of our goals has been to get to 50 and then there’s been a lot of question of what’s next,” Billheimer said, with an answer already in mind.
He plans to pursue commercial beekeeping and increase his goal of 50 hives to between 100 and 200.
“Hopefully here in a couple years, our Shelby bees will be heading out to California to pollinate almonds,” Billheimer said. “That’s two, three years (away) probably.”
Shelby Mayor Steve Schag expressed his appreciation for Billheimer’s expertise and efforts.
“We appreciate you and all the efforts that you put forth in the hives out at the wastewater treatment plant,” he said. “That’s a lot of work, so we appreciate that.”
