FREMONT, Mich. — The bees are back in town!
Bees from The Great Lakes Bee Co. (GLBC) in Fremont have returned home from their time pollinating almond crops in California and rebuilding hives in Georgia.
On Saturday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hundreds of beekeepers from the Great Lakes region will come to Fremont for the annual Bee Pick-Up Day to get bees for their colonies.
Beekeepers can pick up bee packages, five and nine frame nucleus colonies and queen bees at the event. Beekeeping supplies and equipment are also available for sale.
The pick-up day is a sign that flowers and crops will soon be ready for the bees to pollinate them, ushering in the arrival of spring.
Now that they're back in Michigan, the bees will forage on basswood, alfalfa, star thistle and West Michigan flowers. In doing so, they'll create 150,000 pounds of honey to be sold throughout Michigan.
GLBC also offers products made from beeswax such as candles and raw wax.
If you're interested in getting into beekeeping, Genji Leclair, one of the owners of GLBC, said they're just about sold out of their bees.
However, she recommends checking out the Michigan Beekeepers Association's website to find and join a bee club near you. This way, you can learn more about what owning a bee hive entails.
When you're ready for your own bees, she said their preorders open in November for next spring.
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